We’ve spied lots of celebs carrying around the latest miracle or wellbeing drinks that promise to aid weight loss, become cleverer, happier, and able to fly (OK, we made the last one up, but you get the idea).
Could a little drinkie really do all that? Well we’ve checked out some of the latest claims…
Wellbeing in a Bottle – Neuro Sonic Mental Performance Vitamin & Herbal Extract Beverage
£1.79 for a 430ml bottle, Tesco and Waitrose
The claim: Fuel for the brain to help you remain focused and alert for longer.
Celeb fans: Ashley Greene carries it with her and Hayden Panettiere finds a red bottle and a dressing gown are all she needs to accessorize her bikini.
Expert opinion: ‘B vitamins stop your brain shrinking, slow ageing and maintaining your mental faculties’ says nutritionist Marisa Peer ‘We should all be taking them — and this drink has them all. It has caffeine so it will make you alert, and taurine, which helps stop sugar cravings, but it’s the B vitamins I’m most impressed with. I’d say it’s a good, if rather expensive way of getting them. You could just take a supplement, or have eggs and spinach for breakfast and get the vitamins that way but if you’re not eating a great diet it’s pretty handy.’
Our tester says: ‘I was prepared for this to be a total swizz. I’m so excited that it’s not. It’s a slightly synthetic taste, but not offensive: light and quite fruity. It got me through the morning at least as well as my milky latte, so I’m tempted to swap it, especially as it’s only 37 calories.’
Vita Coco 100% Pure Coconut Water
£1.49 for a one drink carton, or £3.49 a litre, at vitacoco.co.uk
The claim: Its super-hydrating, nutrient-packed, potassium-stacked and mega-electrolyte. (Eh?) Basically lf you’re feeling a bit drained and it’s 4pm-on-Monday-ish, it’s a quick pick-me-up.
Celeb fans: A ton; notably Gwyneth Paltrow recently revealed it was one of her slimming snacks, and here’s Rihanna stocking up on a few canons.
Expert opinion: ‘I drink this myself’ says Marisa. Coconut is one of the purest foods and even though it contains fat, it also has a compound that speeds up your metabolism, so it’s good for slimming. It is high in potassium, but that’s in loads of food anyway (bananas. fish, poultry, berries) so you’re not likely to be lacking it. Electrolytes are vital, but unless you’re a long-distance runner or you’ve just had food poisoning you probably don’t need to top up on them. But all in all I’m a fan. It’s low in fruit sugars too so it’s 100% better than fruit juice.’
Our tester says: ‘An acquired taste- I didn’t actually like the flavour, but I enjoyed drinking it because it’s so thirst-quenching. Made me feel quite virtuous too, and I’m pretty sure I’m now nearly as cool as Rihanna. I‘m not sure I’d choose it if I didn’t know it was healthy but since it is, l could definitely get used to it.’
Aspire Cranberry Flavour Calorie Burning Soft Drink
£1.59, at aspiredrink.co.uk
The claim: Aspire reckons one can burns up to 200 calories, with a mix of green tea, guarana, ginger and caffeine. Plenty of caffeine so don’t knock back more than four a day.
Celeb fans: This is a newbie wellbeing drink, so it’s not got any willing celebrities yet, but with this claim it’s only a matter of time. The main fat-burning ingredient is green tea, a slimming secret already favoured by J.Lo and Oprah.
Expert opinion: ’I’m not so convinced by this,’ says Marisa, ’Green tea burns fat, particularly stomach fat; ginger and guarana are herbs that speed your metabolism. But the second ingredient is fructose – fruit sugar known as ”the fattening carb’. It’s a mixture of good and bad. You could get the same effect more healthily by sprinkling chili on one meal a day and taking half a spoon of cinnamon. I’d rather people drank green tea, or took green tea supplements.’
Our tester says: There’s definitely a hint of cranberry, but more the factory kind than the growing-on-a-bush kind. Actually, it’s a bit like anti-cystitis sachets. I’ll happily knock back almost anything that promises I’ll drop 200 calories (I’m no slimmer yet – there’s always hope i guess), but I’d rather have the chili flakes sprinkled on my lunch.’
Eboost Orange
£1.99 for 10 tablets at cultbeauty.co.uk
The claim: A natural energy drink that gives you concentration and endurance, and strengthens the immune system. It helps fend off colds, jet-lag and hangovers.
Celeb fans: Fast developing wellbeing cult status with fans including Heidi Klum and Victoria Beckham.
Expert opinion: ‘A good way to get a range of vitamins and minerals — though it’s more expensive than a multi-vit’ says Marisa. ‘It has 5-HTP in it which makes serotonin — a natural anti-depressant. I recommend it to clients who have food cravings, though you can’t take it if you’re on anti- depressants. What I would recommend, because you can’t absorb vitamins A, D, E and K without fat, if you’re on a low-fat diet, is to have a handful of nuts or seeds with this to help them absorb.’
Our tester says: ‘Bright orange packaging made me expect a fake, vitamin-pill-orange flavour but it’s surprisingly nice – light and refreshing and actually quite orangey. It didn’t make me jittery, like coffee can, but I was pepped up. I won’t give up coffee for it, but I’ll definitely keep it handy in my desk for those morning-after days.’
Read the previous blog on Marisa Peer’s Fat Burning Diet.