Sugar is one of the biggest killers in the world. Despite the ubiquity of sugar in modern foods and drinks, the human body didn’t evolve to be able to process the large amounts of sugar that we frequently force upon our metabolisms.
According to the World Health Organization, the recommended daily sugar intake should not exceed more than 10% of the total daily caloric intake, which works out to about 22 grams.
Even just one sugary beverage, however, can exceed this amount. The average can of Coca Cola contains 39 grams of sugar, more than twice the recommended daily intake, or about 20% of the total daily recommended caloric intake.
Individuals that exceed 18% of their caloric intake as sugar content are twice as likely to die from a cardiovascular disease, which is the largest cause of death in the United States.
Cutting sugary beverages and sodas from your diet can be one of the best moves you can make to improve your overall health, but simply purchasing “sugar free” beverages instead of standard sugary drinks can be just as dangerous to your health.
Many purportedly sugar-free drinks use artificial sweeteners such as aspartame in their formula, a synthetic sweetener that has been conclusively proven to cause hormonal imbalances, infertility, and even cancer.
A new beverage company, however, is offering consumers the ability to indulge in refreshing, tasty beverages that are completely free from sugar or artificial ingredients.
Zevia is a refreshment beverage company that offers a range of naturally, healthy drinks that are free from the dangerous chemicals that are common in most sodas.
In this article, we’ll take a look at Zevia, their production methods, and their product range to help you decide whether they are a healthy choice for you and your family.
What Is Zevia?
Zevia is a beverage company that is offering health-conscious consumers some of the healthiest drinks on the market.
The Zevia range consists of a variety of completely zero-calorie, naturally sweetened beverages that contain no sugar or artificial flavors.
Zevia is the brainchild of Paddy Spence, an LA-based health enthusiast and entrepreneur that pioneered the use of stevia, a herbal natural sweetener, to create a range of healthy, refreshing, and tasty beverages.
Previously to using stevia as a natural sweetener, the Zevia brand used a little-known sugar alcohol called erythritol as a sweetening agent, but as this product- while healthier than sugar- is still known to cause digestive upsets, Spence transformed the brand and focused instead on delivering completely organic, sugar-free flavors by employing stevia as a sweetening agent.
Zevia maintains that the “natural” product label definition isn’t limited to simply using natural ingredients in the composition of a product.
Zevia defines “natural” as completely free from fake or artificial ingredients, using no synthetic preservatives, colors, or chemical sweeteners.
In addition to containing no sugar or calories, the Zevia range is also completely GMO free, vegan compatible, kosher, gluten free, and contains zero sodium.
Pushing the natural label further than most health drinks, Zevia is also free from phosphoric acid, which is a great feature for individuals that have to watch their phosphate intake, such as those undergoing dialysis.
Zevia is also free from caramel color, an additive frequently used by cola and energy drink manufacturers to colorize their products.
Artificial caramel color has been implicated as a carcinogenic agent, and has been shown to negatively influence the immune system, cause high blood pressure, and exacerbate allergies.
Why Stevia?
The magic ingredient in the Zevia formula is stevia, a completely natural flavoring agent that is derived from the Stevia rebaudiana plant.
Stevia extract is roughly 200 times sweeter than processed sugar, but contains absolutely no glucose or calories.
The active chemical in stevia that causes the sweet flavor are a series of organic compounds called steviol glycosides, that, while they have a slower onset than sugar, have a wide range of health benefits.
In addition to helping dieters manage their caloric and sugar intake, stevia has been clinically proven to have a positive effect on satiety, or the sensation of satisfaction after eating a meal[1].
Stevia has also been proven to deliver antioxidant properties that help the body reduce the impact of free radical compounds, minimizing overall oxidative stress and promoting overall liver and kidney health[2].
Stevia has also been demonstrated to assist with weight loss.
A 2010 clinical investigation found that stevia extract is able to improve lipid metabolism, increasing the efficiency with which the body is able to break down fats, resulting in increased fat burning[3].
Zevia Range
All of the drinks in the Zevia range are sweetened with natural stevia and deliver a wide range of benefits over traditional soda.
Zevia offer a soda range in a huge amount of flavors, including Black Cherry, Grape, Orange, Strawberry, and Lemon Lime Twist.
Zevia also offer an energy range, providing consumers with a healthy alternative to damaging energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster.
The Zevia Energy range is formulated in the same healthy, sugar free way as the soda range, but includes a healthy hit of caffeine to keep users awake and motivated.
Also included in the Zevia range is a series of Hydrating Sparkling Water beverages intended to be used in mixer drinks and cocktails, helping to reduce the negative health impact of drinking alcohol.
Lastly, Zevia also offer an alcohol, sugar, fruit juice, and calorie free sparkling wine called Zevia Celebrations, available in Sparkling Apple and Sparkling Pear flavors.
Zevia Review Summary
Zevia were the first brand to introduce stevia-flavored drinks to the market, and offer one of the largest ranges of stevia drinks available.
In addition to offering completely calorie and sugar free refreshments, Zevia deliver an added benefit through their completely GMO and phosphoric acid free formula.
Zevia also offer a range of health recipes on their website to help customers take advantage of the health benefits of their range.
If you’re looking for a healthy, sugar free alternative to the damaging soda products that flood the market, Zevia is one of the best options available.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2900484/ ↑
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23140911 ↑
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20393989 ↑
