Crystal Light is a product that Kraft recommends to consumers as a calorie-free way to add flavour to their water. It sounds like a great idea….until you read the label. Depending on the flavour of Crystal Light, there may be one or two ingredients difference, but for the most part, they contain the same elements. Let’s see if it looks good naked.
Ingredients: water, malic acid, natural flavour, citric acid, sucralose, potassium citrate, acesulfame-potassium, colour (contains tartrazine), potassium sorbate, sodium citrate.
Malic Acid
The first ingredient (other than water), Malic acid, is definitely one of the safer additives on the label. It is found naturally in high doses in fruit and products such as green apples, grapes, rhubarb and wine, and it contributes to their sour and bitter taste. There is some concern that it may cause nausea and diarrhea and the safety of long-term use is unknown.
Natural Flavour
Natural flavour is a bit of a misnomer. Okay, A LOT of a misnomer. This means that this additive is originally from nature. So technically, it could mean duck feathers, beetle poop, and even MSG. From nature does not equal good for you. Arsenic and mercury are from nature and they certainly aren’t good for you.
Citric Acid
Citric acid is a “natural” preservative/conservative used that gives its’ products a sour flavour.
Sucralose
Sucralose is code-name for Splenda. Splenda has been touted as being “made from sugar” and it has become the most popular sweetener recently. There have only been a few short-term studies completed on Splenda’s side effects, and no long term studies, but the adverse effects and other concerns are numerous. Gastrointestinal problems, migraines, dizziness, blood sugar increases, and seizures are just a few of the common ones. To learn more about what sucralose is, why it’s full of chlorine, and why The Naked Label DOES NOT recommend it’s consumption, check this out.
Potassium Citrate
Potassium citrate is a food additive and a buffering agent used to regulate acidity in drinks.
Acesulfame-potassium
Acesulfame-potassium, also known as Acesulfame-K, is another calorie-free sweetener that is widely used in foods, beverages and chewing gums, and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Like aspartame, it is highly likely that Acesulfame-K is a carcinogen, as well as having other deleterious effects on the body.
Colour
“Colour” like the word “natural” does not mean that they are necessarily using cherries to colour your skittles red or give your cherry pomegranate crystal light it’s red colour. And tartrazine (which is in Crystal Light as well as thousands of other products) is a “colour” derived from coal tar. This chemical has been shown to cause side effects such as anxiety, depression, heart palpitations, insomnia, hot flashes and is also related to the overproduction of white blood cells, thyroid cancer, and permanent DNA damage! And why is this in our food you’re asking? Well, to make a long story short: because it is cheaper than real, naturally occurring colours that could be used in products. And the FDA says it’s okay in low doses. Oh yeah, that’s right…I forgot poison was okay as long as it’s in low doses.
Potassium Sorbate
Potassium sorbate is a synthetic compound made from a chemical reaction. It can cause nausea, vomiting and gastric upset, and more severe side effects in some people. There are known effects from long-term usage including lots of free radical damage and nutrient deficiencies.
Sodium Citrate
Lastly, sodium citrate. This is a salt (hence the name sodium) which is another acidity regulator used in drinks and is also an emulsifier of fats in other products. It is another preservative.
So, as you can now see, Crystal Light is probably not a healthy choice for your daily hydration routine. In fact, it’s not much better than diet pop. Apart from not being overly safe for our consumption and causing some terrible side effects, I doubt our bodies can metabolize, breakdown and excrete these chemicals well if they can’t even recognize what they are. Which means that our livers are burdened (even more than they already are) and toxicity increases in the body. If you’re craving some flavour in your water, add some cut up fresh fruit (berries, pineapple, mango and citrus are good choices), cucumber slices, or a touch of 100% fruit juice. Here is a video with some natural water flavour ideas: CHECK IT OUT.
On the Crystal Light website they say “Turn the water you need into the water you love”. To me this is extremely misleading because what we are really doing is turning the water we need into water that could harm us. Personally, the water I love is the water that hydrates my body and gives me health and vitality. Do you agree? Let me know in the comment section below. I would love to hear from you.
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“Image courtesy of Thawornmat / FreeDigitalPhotos.net”.
