Zrii & the Tao of Healthy Beverages: What’s IN This Stuff?

Raised predominantly in Hawaii, packaging like Fiji water and Zrii always catches my eye, as do lofty health claims like, “a drink so nutritionally complete that it has no equal in all of history”…So I set out to find the scoop on the zen of Zrii, soon to be the next consumable hypefest elixir, and sure to appeal to uber-trendy teens who are being targeted big time via energy drinks and supplements.

Perusing the Zrii product FAQ and elaborate website, (Zrii TV/Radio?) my name generation/branding mind went something like this,

“Hmn, very cool Sanskrit name, exotic Himalayan allure, backstory positioned as 5000 years of medicinal wisdom, ingredients like amalaki and ayurveda which few Westerners have a clue about… bigwig 3rd party endorsement for insta-cred from Deepak Chopra…there are clearly some marcom bucks behind this baby, I’d better do some recon analysis and call in our health & nutrition expert for back-up!”

Phytonutrients? Wildcrafted? Cold-pressed? Sheesh. It’s hard to stay one step ahead to see what’s IN beverages before kids start swiggin’ it, but since I specialize in new product development, I tend to know which rocks to turn over fast and see if counter-marketing needs to come into play.

Also wondering what’s with the lifestyle portion of the Zrii site with the ‘prosperity plan’ marketing ‘abundance’ via incentive trip? Is this some kind of pyramid scheme using co-op coolness as an alternative distribution channel? My Gen Y nephews would be all over this one…

Sooooo, I tapped into TrendCentral’s coolness cache and asked our own Shaping Youth Health Correspondent Rebecca Scritchfield to put her Johns Hopkins brainpower into the mix and do her dietary magic on all three of the drinks they listed as up and comers, even though some are clearly not ‘targeting kids.’

To me, supplements and functionals are ALL fair game for analysis because the regulation is non-existent, the misinformation is rampant and the population is so easily swayed.

It doesn’t take long to veer from dorm dwellers to lunch yards…

Which reminds me…If you hear of a grape-carbonated ‘anti-energy drink’ called “Drank” with all kinds of natural sounding roots and rose hips, know that it’s not “anti” in a ‘healthy’ sense, it’s ‘anti’ in a ‘slow you down rather than pick you up’ sense, with southern roots in hip-hop urbanity that’s literally carbonated prescription-strength cough syrup. (As opposed to MOST of the energy drinks that just TASTE like carbonated cough syrup!)

Purple Drank has been making the rounds on BuzzFeed, for its Sprite and Jolly Rancher in a foam cup ‘sizzurp’ containing codeine and promethazine…but now, of course, someone’s actually marketing it in a can, complete with press blitz.

So heads up kiddies, don’t be slurpin’ on the ‘purple stuff,’ it’s not Welch’s grape, ya know?

This is another one of those ‘think before you drink’ concoctions just like our counter-marketing color comparison of blue Windex and Powerade with the ‘know what you’re putting in your body’ message.

We don’t need any more energy drinks and alcohol monsterous tragedies. Caveat emptor, one and all. Now, back to Rebecca’s analysis of the healthy beverage business …

First, I want to add one over-arching statement about label lingo…Until the FDA starts doing their job with detailed percentages of exact amounts of supplemental/botanical ingredients and beverage claims, you need to be fully aware of some key watch words on plant extracts, appetite suppressants, salt and stimulant equivalents to know what you’re ‘buying into’ both in coinage and consumption.

Like? Guarana (an herbal stimulant akin to caffeine) Potassium hydroxycitrate (a natural appetite suppressant which Rebecca details fully in the AquaSlim review) and even the Indian Gooseberry of Zrii which is nebulous and less than forthcoming in its apple, pear, pomegranate potion of heavily hyped joy juice…

How much of each botanical ingredient is in it? How little?

Hype, health, or harm?

These are the consumer advocacy questions we all wish the feds would get a handle on, and the marketers would reveal…so we KNOW what we’re putting in our bodies. Doesn’t seem like much to ask, eh?

Now here’s Rebecca with more about the ‘new and exciting’ factor that comes into play in all of the ‘healthy for you’ hype…Remember, until the FDA corrals the industry, it’s a wild-west frontier when it comes to dietary supplements and beverages.

Think Before You Drink: Secrets of The Latest Health Beverages Revealed

by Shaping Youth Correspondent Rebecca Scritchfield

There is no question that “new” is exciting. We all love the way a new outfit makes us feel, we love trying a new restaurant, and we excitedly anticipate the new season of our favorite prime time shows. And when it comes to food, who doesn’t love to try new stuff?

As a nutrition and food enthusiast, I personally turn grocery shopping into an experience. I check out all the latest products in the name of “research”! (It’s so bad that my husband refuses to go with me anymore because it can easily be a 2-hour ordeal.)

But I’ve noticed a trend lately of new “health” beverage products that go a little too far by making it difficult for consumers to find out “what’s really in this?” Here’s three new products that have me scratching my head. After some digging, I was able to find some information.

Advertised as a “hot” beverage to keep your cool, Zrii appears to be “all that” in a bottle with the amalaki (Indian gooseberry).

Harnessing the healing and medicinal properties of Amalaki fruit and other potent ayurvedic herbs, this new nutritional drink is said to aid digestion and detoxification, while rejuvenating the body, when consumed on a daily basis. The edible fruit from the Amalaki tree, also known as the Indian gooseberry, has been highly valued by Tibetan healers and Indian herbalists for centuries, due to its disease-fighting, vitality-enhancing and anti-aging properties. In its purest form, Amalaki has a sour/bitter and astringent taste, but Zrii (perhaps because it includes other ingredients such as Ginger, Jujube, Haritaki, and Turmeric) has a pleasantly tart, berry flavor. While antioxidant-rich Amalaki extracts are available in pill and powder form, Zrii carries a weighty endorsement from the (Deepak) Chopra Center for Wellbeing.

Unfortunately, I could not find the nutrition facts that discloses all the ingredients. I was able to find some nutrition information on the website.

That’s a sign right there. If you can’t quickly and easily find full disclosure about what’s in the product (nutrition facts label and ingredients list) you should wonder what they have to hide.

After some hunting in the FAQ section, I found that the primary or “base” juices are

• Apple juice
• Pear juice
• Pomegranate juice

Hmmm… so how much of each of these juices are in the beverage compared to the other ingredients? Are the other ingredients in concentrated enough levels to produce the effect advertised? And why is this not on the nutrition information page? These are important questions because these juices are relatively inexpensive so what exactly are you paying for with Zrii – the pretty packaging and marketing allure?

I’m just not convinced this product is as “hot” as the marketing would have you believe. If you would like to read more about Zrii’s possible shortcomings, read this interesting review by Mike Adams at Natural News. Now, if you still want to try it, go for it.

At least now you know a little more about what is really in it.

Next up is AquaSlim. Here’s what the marketers claim…

Made with calcium-enriched spring water and appetite-curbing “plant extracts”, this new dietary supplement from Metabolife claims to aid in weight loss and fitness maintenance goals when consumed before meals, three times a day. According to the website, the active ingredient, Super CitriMax®, works to “suppress appetite without the use of stimulants,” while the calcium-infused spring water hydrates and strengthen bones.

I appreciate that the website had a supplement facts page. You know exactly what is in it… err… sort of.

They aren’t very upfront about what exactly is contained in the SuperCitriMax. But if you take it as directed you are getting about 2500mg of the stuff.

After some research, I found a patent for potassium hydroxycitrate as an appetite suppressant, which also happens to be in the drink. Upon further investigation, it became clear that there is a lot of hydroxycitric acid (HCA) and the calcium hydroxycitrate and potassium hydroxycitrate are just “salts” of the hydroxycitric acid.

That means you are ingesting 1100 mg per bottle and 3,330 mg per day if taken as directed. Is that too much? Well, it appears there is no clinical evidence that shows HCA is effective as an appetite suppressant in humans.

So, as it goes… if it seems too good to be true it probably is.

I would venture to guess the people interested in trying this product are already health-conscious. I think that focusing on an exercise program and a balanced diet would do much more benefit than this drink, honestly.

I did find one new beverage that I couldn’t help but give a thumbs up to… it’s the new red espresso – a red tea (rooibios) made with an espresso machine.

It is caffeine-free and piled with antioxidants. Here’s a bonus: there are no “ingredients”. It’s just tea prepared to a consistency for espresso or latte beverages. I can’t wait to try this.

Bottom line is to recognize that new is exciting. Some of the appeal of products is their “new factor.” Make sure you know what is in any food or beverage you are consuming, especially dietary supplements. They aren’t regulated and safety standards don’t exist. It pays to be a skeptic. You be the judge if it is worth the try.

For more insights from Rebecca, visit Balanced Health & Nutrition

About Rebecca: Shaping Youth is proud to have Rebecca as part of our stable of guest editorial bloggers in core areas of expertise we deem integral to children’s health.

Rebecca graduated with degrees in chemisty and nutrition with honors and distinction, and has additional academic training in communications and information technology. She’s certified by the American College of Sports Medicine, pursuing a graduate degree in communications at The Johns Hopkins University, with an emphasis of coursework in digital technologies and health communication, and is also a guest blogger for the diet and nutrition section of Health Commentary, led by family physician Mike Magee, MD.

Visual Credits: Product shots via TrendCentral.com, PurpleDrank via Jezebel.com

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