The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned several print ads promoting Coca Cola’s Glaceau brand of vitamin water. The ads

The Advertising Standards Authority received three complaints, which argued that the ads misleadingly implied that vitamins in the drinks conferred health benefits and made them equivalent, or even superior to, vegetables – and that the drinks made people resistant to illness. Two of the complainants argued that the advertising positioned the drinks as healthy when in fact they contained high levels of sugar.

The ASA upheld all the complaints against the three ads. The watchdog said Coca-Cola had not provided evidence to support the various claims made in the ads and had breached the advertising code. It ruled the company should not run them again. read more

What you need to know:

We examined Glaceau Vitamin Water Nutrient Enhanced Water, Essential, Orange-Carrot (A-Z). A 20 fl. oz. bottle, which most people consume individually is considered two and a half servings. But since most people consume the whole thing, here’s what they are getting:

0 fat, o sodium, 0 protein, a host of vitamins and 33 grams of sugar (!). That’s about 8 teaspoons of sugar to cover up the bitter taste of the vitamins. That adds up to 130 empty calories, all from the sugar.

Why would this be considered healthy? According to Coca Cola:

Although this product is not part of a so-called nutritious breakfast, it does contain many vitamins, and that’s good. After all, who really has time to sit down and eat a bowl of cereal, half a grapefruit, seven pieces of wheat toast and a yogurt while changing lanes on the freeway? Not us.

What to do at the supermarket:

The folks at Glaceau/Coca Cola may want you to think you don’t have time, but that’s not true. If you want to eat healthfully, you need to prioritize. Spend just a few more minutes a day in the kitchen with real sources of vitamins. It’ll be time worth spent.

As for Glaceu’s sugar water, sure it’s a nice treat. But you can save a lot of money by switching to plain ol’ tap water.

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