BENEFITS AND RISKS OF ANTI-OXIDANT DRINKS AND/OR POWDERS

Anti-oxidant Drinks And/Or Powders

Protecting yourself from the onset of diseases has never been more convenient, thanks to anti-oxidant drinks or powders. These beverages contain either a concentration or a combination of fruits such as berries, familiar greens like kale, or the more exotic edible algae commonly referred to as nori, which are all touted for their superior anti-oxidant properties. No doubt a valuable addition to a wholesome diet, consumption of anti-oxidant drinks or powders is best kept at a moderate level for a host of reasons. Read further and discover more about the pros and cons of anti-oxidant drinks or powders and why the I only recommend moderate consumption of these sources of hydration to help in your quest to become a healthier you.

Anti-Oxidant Drinks or Powders’ Benefits:

As the name implies, anti-oxidant drinks or powders are products touted for their excellent anti-oxidant profile. Anti-oxidants are the body’s natural defense against free radicals. These free radicals have the ability to damage cellular components like DNA resulting in compromised function and even death of the affected cells. By supplementing one’s anti-oxidant intake, free radical damage can be kept at a minimum, resulting in better overall health.

Anti-oxidant drinks or powders from trustworthy makers of these beverages ensure to only include ingredients that have superior nutritional and anti-oxidant properties and preferably sourced locally as well. For instance, some makers use naturally sweet grape juice to minimize or altogether eliminate the need to add sweeteners.

Grapes, especially red and purple ones, contain flavonoids and resveratrol. The latter has long been known to aid in the reduction of LDL cholesterol¹, facilitate blood pressure², and protect the heart’s blood vessels.³

Aronia berries are quite a popular ingredient in anti-oxidant drinks or powders, too. These berries have been found to minimize the formation of blood clots⁴and may therefore help fight the onset of cardiovascular and other inflammatory diseases. Aronia berries, more popularly known by many as its other name chokeberries, have liver-protective properties⁵ as well.

Anti-Oxidant Drinks or Powders’ Risks:

Anti-oxidant drinks or powders are processed food products. Manufacturing on a large scale level, which oftentimes is the case with heavily marketed commercial anti-oxidant drinks or powders, inevitably brings about undesirable effects on the resultant beverages.

For instance, in the case of anti-oxidant powders, the raw materials are subjected to extreme temperatures, resulting in the compromised anti-oxidant profile as well as loss of vital components like vitamins. This explains why so many processed food products are fortified to make up for the loss of these properties during the manufacturing process.

It is crucial to keep in mind that food fortification doesn’t always guarantee proper absorption. For instance, fortifying anti-oxidant drinks or powders with vitamins A, D, E and K may be futile if the products don’t contain any healthy fats to make these fat-soluble vitamins biologically available after ingestion. Furthermore, food fortification may inadvertently result in toxicity, which is what prompted Denmark, in 2004, to ban⁶ specific brands of fortified cereals.⁷

A variety of sweetened anti-oxidant drinks or powders are dense in calories, too. This means drinking them on a regular basis could compromise weight management efforts, or worse, result in unnecessary and unhealthy mass gain. Meanwhile, brands that boast fewer calories may not be any healthier as most of these are sweetened with toxic sugar substitutes like acesulfame^8,9 or aspartame.^10,11