Читать книгу VITAMIN WATER - Drink Yourself Well - Luke Eisenberg - Страница 4

The idea to produce a special vitamin water comes from America. Founded in New York in 1996, Glaceau was the first manufacturer of so-called smart water. Years later, energy drinks and vitamin water from the same manufacturer came onto the market. The company was then acquired by Coca-Cola in 2007. In Germany, Glaceau beverages have been available since 2012, but were discontinued at the end of last year because sales did not meet expectations. In the USA, however, these vitamin waters are still in high demand. Among the best-known products are the lemonade flavour Multi-V, the dragon fruit flavour Power-C, the citrus flavour known under the name Ignite, and of course the essential vitamin water with orange flavour. Every single combination allegedly offers a special effect due to the vitamins and nutrients it contains.

The actual idea for vitamin water came from J. Darius Bikoff, the founder of Glaceau and a well-known triathlete. Due to a cold he enriched his drinking water with vitamin C and zinc in order to recover more quickly. Today this drink is available under the name Defense, it is vitamin water with apple and raspberry flavour. Not all soft drinks are really low in calories. Some of them have stevia added as an alternative sugar, but normal household sugar may also be included in the vitamin water products on sale.

Vitamin water has long been a favourite drink among professional athletes, but it is also frequently used in mountaineering, among other things. Depending on the variety and brand, vitamin C, vitamins B, vitamin E, calcium and magnesium are added to the water. However, biotin, sodium and pantothenic acid can also be contained in the vitamin waters. These are functional drinks, which are basically based on table water, but contain vitamins, minerals, electrolytes and fruit and colour aromas. Electrolytes are also very important for our organism, as they protect us from heat damage, which can threaten our lives together with a lack of fluids. The most important biological electrolytes include calcium, chloride, hydrogen carbonate, potassium, magnesium, sodium and phosphate.

Electrolytes play an important role in our body, as they are mainly responsible for the spread of nerve excitation. They are also known as minerals or ions and are contained in our organism only in limited quantities. These substances decompose into positively and negatively charged ions and are therefore also able to conduct electricity in an aqueous solution. As they have a direct influence on the tension of the cell membranes, they are also responsible for the various processes of contraction in our muscles. A lack of minerals can therefore be expressed through painful muscle cramps. The most important ions in our organism are bound in water by our body. If we sweat a lot, we lose a lot of electrolytes. This is also the reason why we have to drink a lot, especially on hot days, otherwise the electrolyte level can fall dangerously. This leads to dehydration, which is associated with dizziness, nausea, dizziness and heart rhythm disorders.

Especially competitive athletes have to pay particular attention to their electrolyte levels, as they are naturally exposed to extreme loads and therefore also have a much higher demand for fluids. They are therefore dependent on a liquid absorption with electrolytes, which is why they prefer isotonic drinks in sports.