Coca-Cola
People have been enjoying Coca-Cola® all over the world for more than 120 years. Today, Coca-Cola, with more than 400 brands in more than 200 countries, continues to offer a broad array of sparkling and still beverages, including waters, teas, juices, and sports drinks. Two of Coca-Cola's most successful brands are Odwalla and Dasani Water. Odwalla, Inc., the nation's leading natural health beverage company delivers juices, juice drinks, soy beverages, and nourishing food bars. Dasani purified waters are available in natural, flavored, and vitamin enhanced with zero calories per 8 fluid ounce servings. The pursuit of health and wellness has extended successfully into the beverage category. Many of the beverages offered by Odwalla and Dasani offer a wide array of choices with various combinations of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals recognized to be beneficial to health. From pomegranate based juices to flavored Plus waters, functional beverages resonate with today's consumers interest in health and wellness, including healthy hydration recommendations.
There is no argument that water is essential to survival and that hydration is linked with health promotion, sustained physical activity, and mental performance. Relying on the perception of thirst does not always guarantee appropriate total water intake so pleasing flavors can stimulate increased fluid intake. During sedentary or light active occasions, water can meet hydration needs, but research shows that people who drink more of a lightly flavored beverage drink more and therefore stay better hydrated. For athletes and physically active people, key electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride help maintain fluid balance. Carbohydrates contained in many of the beverages fuel working muscles, fight fatigue, and provide sweetness and flavor.
Drinks today offer a wide array of functional benefits related to hydration, energy, and disease prevention through vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in the form of antioxidants and phytosterols. A recent study by University of California Davis Medical Center researchers found that twice daily servings of either a reduced calorie orange juice beverage fortified with plant sterols or plant sterol fortified orange juice reduces levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol) and C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation and an accepted risk marker for heart disease.
Americans consume about 21 percent of their calories from beverages. However, 46 percent of these beverages come from calorie sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks. Many consumers fail to recognize the effects that liquid calories can have on the balance of the overall diet—especially for sugar. Americans consume high amounts of sugar; recent estimates are at 115 pounds each year per person. The Beverage Guidance Panel provides information regarding choosing healthy beverages as part of a balanced nutritional diet. The group has developed the first Healthy Beverage Guidelines, which appear in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The group recommends that people should drink more water and limit or eliminate high-calorie beverages with little or no nutrition value. The panel members have grouped beverages into six categories and recommend a range of how much in each category people should drink daily.
- Water: At least four servings of water for women and at least six servings for men are recommended. All beverage needs could come from water if desired.
- Unsweetened coffee and tea, iced and hot: Up to eight servings a day of tea and up to four servings of coffee are recommended.
- Nonfat or 1 percent fat milk and fortified soy beverages: Up to two servings a day are recommended.
- Diet beverages with sugar substitutes: Up to four servings a day are recommended.
- 100% fruit and vegetable juices, whole milk, sports drinks: Up to one serving a day is recommended.
- Calorically sweetened soft drinks and fruit drinks without nutrients: Up to one serving a day is recommended—less if trying to lose weight.
Beverages should offer flavor and enjoyment while complimenting a healthy and balanced diet not excessive in sugar or calories. The recent Worlds of Healthy Flavors conference showcased beverages in the spirit of health and flavor. Key attributes of flavor such as the astringency and dryness from grapefruit, green apple, persimmon, cucumber, mango and pineapple where offered as ways to counter sweetness and provide fuller taste and texture. Ingredients such as aromatic herbs, spices, fruit purees, floral waters, and citrus zest enhance the complexity of waters and teas. Cucumber citrus water with lemon verbena is an example where flavor is not compromised in the absence of sugar. Carbonation can bring texture to fruit juices, such as in a sparkling pomegranate tea that is one part juice to three parts sparkling water. This type of beverage shows that fruit juices can be light, refreshing and flavorful beverage option when combined with sparkling water.
Contact Us
The Coca-Cola CompanyP.O. Box 1734
Atlanta, GA 30301
Ph: 1-800-438-2653
References
Hydration and Health Promotion: J. Am. Coll. Nutr. 2007 26: 529S-532S.
Popkin, Barry M., L. Armstrong, G.M. Bray, B. Caballero, B. Frei, and W.C. Willett. (2006) A new proposed guidance system for beverage consumption in the United States. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 83: 529-542.
Devaraj S. Autret BC. Jialal I. Reduced-calorie orange juice beverage with plant sterols lowers C-reactive protein concentrations and improves the lipid profile in human volunteers. Am J Clin Nutr. 2006; 84(4):756-61.
Sawka MN, et al. Med Sci Sprots Exerc 39:377 – 390, 2007