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There is a new drink on the market today, which classifies itself as a “natural health product” and it seems to have a lot of people mesmerized by its attractive packaging and catchy health claims. It seems that Coca-Cola is wanting to get deeper into the health food market and perhaps compete with Pepsi’s SoBe drinks, but they go about it in their usual catchy, yet far from healthy ways. The latest addition from Coca-Cola is their latest acquisition of of Fuze drinks.
These drinks seem to be all the rave with many people today, especially high school and college students. The bottles are sleek and funky looking. The images are fresh, vibrant and healthy looking. And the health claims are just about what everyone wants to hear. But what is inside this bottle, and can we really call it healthy, never mind naturally healthy?
Fuze is marketed in a very creative way by making individual “lines” of the drink. Personalizing an item to specific groups in the population always helps to sell it better, as most of us know by now. There are 4 lines: Refresh, Vitalize, Green Tea (Canada) and Tea (US) and Shape (Canada) and Slenderize (US). Each of the lines comes in a variety of flavors, sure to suit everyone’s taste buds no doubt.
So how did I like it? I didn’t even bother tying it. A student once brought in a bottle of this drink and asked my opinion on it. After taking a look at the ingredient label, I knew immediately it was not a drink I was willing to put in my body, even if it was for a review. Hence, that is how I obtained an empty bottle of Fuze Shape Tropical Punch.
So, I cannot comment for you on the flavor of this or any other one of their drinks, as I would never put this drink in my body for reasons explained below.
The bottle looks attractive. The colors are vibrant and the health claims, which focus on vitamins and minerals make it very tempting. The calories are also kept so low. Interesting… So is anyone checking what these drinks are sweetened with? Artificial sweeteners of course.
This particular kind, claims to have only 15 calories (I am assuming for the whole 547mL size). The only way to keep calories so low on a fruit drink is to sweeten it artificially. The 2 sweeteners they use are Acesulfame-Potassium and Sucralose – the famous chlorinated sugar. Now if you are unaware of the health implications of these 2 substances on your health, check out my quick guide to artificial sweeteners.
The drink states in super tiny letters on the front that it is a “naturally flavored enhanced real fruit beverage” – notice it cannot even qualify as a “juice”. All of the drinks have various vitamins and minerals added to them and this particular variety focuses on the addition of chromium. It has a huge health claim regarding this that states “chromium helps the body to metabolize carbohydrates and fats.” Naturally this claim can only mean one thing to the average person out there – “it is going to help me (hopefully not make me) lose weight.”
Well, I have to say wishful thinking and lucrative advertising do not quite stand up against science.
The AI (adequate intake) for chromium in our diets is 25mcg for females and 35mcg for males. This drink provides 41mcg, so it meets the minimum and no this value is not harmful, unless you regularly drink bottles of this a day, although no UL (upper limit) has yet been set for chromium. The label directs not to drink more than 5 bottles per day.
Various scientific research exists today on chromium, but in the end there is generally speaking inconclusive evidence on how and whether chromium actually helps in glucose metabolism. Studies have noted that chromium supplementation “has no effect on serum glucose and insulin concentrations in healthy individuals.” There is a little more of an affect seen in diabetics, but no diabetic should be experimenting with chromium without professional medical advice. In general chromium supplementation will not help you lose weight or gain muscle (as some sports magazines claim).
Another key ingredient in this drink is Garcinia Cambogia Rind Extract. This substance is rich in hydroxy acid and has many claims of helping suppress appetite and helping people lose weight. To date studies are debated on whether this plant extract actually helps people lose weight. Check out the following article for more details. The standard dose for any results appears to be 500 – 1000mg. This drink contains 450mg.
The drink states that it is not recommended for children, pregnant or breast feeding women.
So although this drink and the whole line of Fuze is geared toward health, it is not natural health. For those people who are too busy to eat proper fruits and vegetables each day and who do not mind putting harmful chemicals in their body, then the drink is great. However, if you are health conscious and adopt a natural health lifestyle, that is not based on processed food and chemicals, then this drink is not for you.
Ingredients
Medicinal
- 41mcg Chromium Polynicotinate
- 137mg Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
- 450mg Garcinia Cambogia Rind Extract
Non-medicinal
- Filtered water
- Concentrated Fruit juices (pineapple and mango)
- Malic Acid
- Concentrated Purple Carrot Juice (Color)
- Natural Flavor
- Acesulfame-Potassium
- Sucralose
Nutritional Information
- Because this is classified as a natural health product, in Canada it does not require a nutrition facts label
- The product generally speaking is sugar free, sodium free, fat free, protein free, low on calories and has some vitamin C and chromium
Packaging
The drink comes in 547mL plastic #1 (PETE) bottle. It can be easily recycled, especially that the makers did not attach the label using adhesives. This makes both bottle and label recyclable, as the labels usually get cut off from the bottles for proper recycling.
Price (as of this posting)
- Around $2-$3 CDN/US per 547ml bottle
Availability
- In Canada and the US in local supermarkets, grocery stores, variety stores and more
- Fuze also sells products in Asia, South America, Europe and the Caribbean
- Check out Fuze.ca and Fuze.com for more details
The Good
- No artificial colors
- No artificial flavors
- No caffeine
- Non-carbonated
- Ingredients found on product label
- Fortified with vitamin C and chromium
- Recyclable packaging
The Bad
- Artificially sweetened
- Contains Acesulfame-Potassium
- Contains Sucralose
- Synthetically added vitamins and minerals
- Unreliable “Natural flavors”
- Unhealthy packaging
- May give people wrong impression when it comes to weight loss
- May give people wrong impression when it comes to carbohydrate and fat metabolism
- No nutritional information on product
5 OUT OF 10
About the author:Evita Ochel, B.Sc., B.Ed., CHN - is a certified holistic nutritionist, biologist, educator, writer, researcher and speaker in the areas of health, science and holistic wellness. She is a nutritional science expert and her teaching and writing focus on natural, wholesome, plant-based and organic nutrition to achieve optimal health and longevity. Learn more about Evita Ochel or Follow Evita Ochel on Twitter.
15 Comments to “Review: Fuze Shape Tropical Punch Drink”
How can they put things like naturally flavoured and no artificial flavours on the label when it has poison in it?(sucralose). I will not touch anything that has artificial sweetners in it so i look for the words natural on the bottle and that usually means that everything in the drink is natural. I was quite upset when i realized that my drink had sucralose in it. In what way is that natural???? People make me sick when they think drinking things with aspartame or sucralose will help them loose weigt or that its healthier for you . There is nothing wrong with real sugar. I would rather eat a whole jar of sugar before i took one sip of anything with artificial sweetner in it. The only people who should drink things like that are people with diabetes (because they have no choice)I am now throwing my whole bottle of FUZE drink in the garbage.
@ CHRISTINA – Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and opinions here about the FUZE drink. I have to say I completely agree with what you say in your comment – I think this is a classic case that shows us that we have really lost the true meaning of the word natural. Its credibility is completely, in my opinion, compromised. And also you raise a great point about sugar in general. We have become a population that would rather eat chemicals, than go for a walk.
That is why I always recommned to always check the ingredients, for whether it is a food product or a personal product, the front pictures, slogans and claims, really mean nothing to us, at least nothing valuable where our health is concerned.
Thank you soo much for the info on FUZE. I can’t stand the artificial sweeteners being added to so many things today. It is sad and unfortunate that this drink has compromised the integrity of a possible tasty drink. Some of us would rather ingest the sugar instead of the manufactured fake. VERY DISAPPOINTING!
@ TRACEY – You are so welcome Tracey, I wish I had better news, but it is as you say, there is just so much junk added to what some would think as “healthy” products today.
I think the only way we will see a change is through getting people talking, educated and making different choices at the store level. This is the way I feel companies will quickly get the message.
Thanks so much for stopping by to offer your insights!
from an advertising point of view, fuze is a genius inventions. However is the product not just a drinkable health issue with a pretty label. if so, what do are your thoughts on this product effecting teenagers.
@ RILEY – Thanks for your input Riley! And you are right, the marketing departments definitely know how to cleverly pull people in and get them to buy and believe that they need “their” product. Like this is the answer to all their prayers….
And again, I agree and really like how you worded it “a drinkable health issue with a pretty label”. The label is indeed catchy, but this is so far from a natural, or healthy product.
In terms of affecting teenagers, here is the scoop:
The teenage years is the last time in one’s life where they are growing in almost all areas of their body and development. For best results, this requires a superior amount and quality of nutrients. So when teens are drinking sodas, juices or artificially filled drinks like these, they are taking away from putting in valuable nutrients needed to build the foundation for a healthy body for the present and more importantly their future years.
Teens, especially should focus on nutrient-dense diets as this is the time when they really, really need it and benefit so much from it. So it is sad that in our society today, these are the years that usually see the worst diets. Instead of plenty of fresh water, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and whole grains – there are a lot of artificial drinks, processed foods, too high in fat, protein and sugar and basically empty calories.
All this contributes to an acidic body, which is missing a proper foundation for future optimal health. Thank goodness most of this is reversible, but of course it isn’t for those who carry these habits into their adult years.
Hope that info helps :)
Wow!! This is a real eye opener. One of my friends got me on this “healthy” drink, and I knew I didn’t get all the essential vitamins I needed everyday so I thought why not get it here. I did find it odd that there was no list of nutrition facts on the bottle, but after reading all the vitamins I was convinced. Not to mention the bottle clearly states natural health product!! It’s sad that many people will be drawn to this product without actually knowing what they’re putting in their body. I’m gonna try and spread the word to my family and friends regarding this and everyone else I can. I encourage everyone to do the same. THANK YOU so much for this article, I’ll definitely be more careful next time.
@ FLOYD – Hi Floyd and thanks for sharing all your thoughts and feedback.
There seem to be a lot of “vitamin” or “natural health” drinks on the market today. But here is the oxymoron in this whole thing, how natural is something that has been processed and packaged in a bottle?
We have become a society of convenience way too much to one side. We need to come back and strike a balance. I know a lot of people find it hard to eat fresh fruits and vegetables – the best source of vitamins and minerals, but we all have to eat each day, so I know that it is possible to also include those every time we eat. We just have to make a conscious choice to do so.
Bottom line, education is key and you are doing the right thing finding all the facts out and even helping others :)
Just wanted to say thanks for the heads up on this drink. My friend bought this drink for the first time the other day and had me try some. I am really sensitive to any taste of artificial sweeteners and could easily taste some in this drink. My friend and I read the label, and even though there were a lot of ingredients that neither us were familiar with, we didnt recognize any artificial sweetener names. Neither of us had ever heard of Acesulfame-Potassium and turns out a lot of products my friend had been buying contains this crap. It just goes to show that if you dont know what the ingredient is, you probably shouldnt be putting it in your body.
@ KRISTIN – Hi and thanks for stopping by to voice your opinion! I think it really matters that people speak out, as we as the consumers really drive the products made. So if everybody becomes aware of something negative and stops buying it, the manufacturers have an obvious outcome to stop producing it or change it.
And I love what you said at the end, if we don’t know what the ingredients are then we shouldn’t be putting them in our bodies – how true!
You know if people only followed that advice, the health of people would be in such a better place!
So you are welcome, I really just want to help people look deeper at what they are putting on or in their body, so they can enjoy the best quality of life possible :)
Is it ok to drink the slenderize fuzi while pregnant? I really like these drinks but should I stop drinking them now that I am pregnant?
are you serious ? lol is a little bit of sucralose really going to hurt you, I mean I am not defending the Coca-Cola company at all but are all you people really so much of a health freak that you wouldn’t let your children drink this instead of Coca-Cola itself.
Hi Roy
Thank you for your comment.
You may find the article/review a little or a lot extreme depending on your health views and life outlook, but just to give you a little background on why I write what I write – my job is not to conform to what most in society are doing or saying. We have too much of that happening already and we see the obesity and disease stats as they are.
Will this drink hurt a healthy person during one time use? Of course not.
The greater issue with products like this here is two-fold:
1. Whether it is drinks, food, personal products, or cleaning products….sure the one time use is not going to hurt you. The problem why so many companies get away with adding “a little bit of a chemical” and consumers buy it being okay with it, is because we are not connecting the dots that at the end of the day, it is not just a “little bit” – it is a lot of various chemicals, from various sources and almost none of them have been tested for health effects when in synergistic effects within our bodies.
2. Why are these drinks being made even? Why should we support corporations to make millions of dollars of profit for taking away from our health, instead of adding to it?
And finally to answer your question, I don’t have any kids, but when I do, I can tell you I will love them enough not to put “any” unnecessary chemicals in their bodies – not Fuze and definitely not Coca-Cola. What is wrong with giving them freshly made home juice for example? We always have alternate options.
In the end, I respect everyone’s point of view, but for me personally I just love my life and health too much, and know that no diseases are necessary and not even the aging degradation that we see today if the body is supported with everything it needs and nothing it does not.
It starts with a little bit of a chemical, and if nobody speaks up, just imagine where corporations can take it if they have their way…
coca cola,
Please put in large letters-NOT GOOD FOR CHILDREN-as many small children think this is a juice drink and not all parents read the too small print.Where are the people that provide guidelines for the new so called health drinks????
Hi Sandra
Yes, it is too bad that these companies do not put such labels on their products. But gearing their stuff to youngsters is one of the marketing strategies, and they know it works. So in the end it comes down to caring about the future generations or making money, and they choose making money blatantly over anything else.
Thank you for your comment, and yes it would be great if this stuff was more regulated, but as consumers we can all put our foot down and simply not buy them.