If you’ve been fed up with regular carbonated drinks or have ever searched for a healthier soda alternative, you’ve likely encountered Izze drinks.
Izze is a popular brand of fruit-infused carbonated drinks.
The brand was founded in 2002 in Boulder by Greg Stroh and Todd Woloson and is now owned by PepsiCo.
Izze drinks are made with real fruit juices with sparkling water, making them a healthier option than regular sodas.
Additionally, they come in multiple flavors, such as strawberry, blackberry, apple, clementine, mango and more.
However, in a world of clever marketing and label hype, are Izze drinks really a healthy choice?
Short answer: Izze drinks can be considered healthy as they are made with natural ingredients and do not contain any added sugar or artificial additives. However, they lack in nutrition and are high in natural sugar. Therefore, must be consumed in moderation.
Read on to find out more about Izze drinks, including their ingredients, sugar, sodium content and more.
I’ll also compare Izze drinks to the other similar drinks available in the market.
So, let’s start.
Read also: Is Jumex Healthy? The Truth About This Fruit Nectar
What are Izze drinks made up of?
Izze drinks come in multiple flavors, such as:
- Strawberry
- Blackberry
- Mango
- Apple
- Clementine
- Grapefruit
- Peach
- Pomegranate
- Cherry lime
Therefore, the exact ingredients can vary depending on the flavor.
In general, Izze drinks are primarily made with sparkling water and fruit juice concentrate, which constitutes about 60% of the drink’s composition.
Now, the juice concentrate can include any fruit, such as apple, lime, blackberry, etc, based on flavor.
One thing I didn’t get is that Izze drinks claim to be made with 60% fruit juices. But Sparkling water is labelled as the primary ingredient.
Other ingredients that you might find include:
- Natural flavors
- Citric acid
- Gum arabic
- Beta carotene (color)
But here’s the good things.
Izze drinks do not contain any artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors or preservatives.
In fact, there is no added sugar at all!
Just pure natural sweetness from fruits.
Moreover, Izze drinks are non-GMO, gluten-free and vegan.
So, ingredients-wise, Izze drinks are good for you.
How much sugar is in Izze drinks?
Izze drinks do not contain added sugar.
However, they are high in natural sugar, providing 14 to 15g per serving(248ml), depending on the flavor.
That’s about 41% of the daily sugar limit for men and 60% for women, which is significant.
Although all the sugar comes naturally from fruit juice, it’s still important to consume Izze drinks in moderation.
Too much sugar, even if it’s natural, can have the same negative impact as regular sugar, such as weight gain, diabetes and heart disease.
How much sodium is in Izze drinks?
Izze drinks are low in sodium, containing just 10mg per serving(248ml).
This is good for those on a low-sodium diet.
Wait! What about protein, fiber and other nutrients?
It is made with real fruit juices, so it must have some protein and fiber, right?
Despite being made with fruit juices, Izze drinks have nothing to offer in the name of nutrition.
Are Izze drinks considered a soda?
Technically, any water that has bubbles in it is considered soda.
Therefore, Izze drinks can also be considered soda.
However, they are not referred to as “soda” by the manufacturer. Instead, Izze calls them “sparkling juices”.
Izze drinks are closer to fruit juice than soda because they contain 60% of fruit juices.
It can be said that Izze drinks are fruit juices mixed with soda.
Are Izze drinks healthier than soda?
Izze drinks are no doubt a healthier option than sodas like Coke or Pepsi.
There are various reasons for this, such as.
- Izze drinks are packed with fruit juices, while soda lacks any fruit content.
- Izze drinks have no added sugar, whereas sodas are loaded with it either in the form of regular sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
- Izze drinks have less sugar compared to sodas.
- Izze drinks do not contain ingredients like artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors or preservatives.
Are Izze drinks comparable to real fruit juices?
Izze drinks are infused with fruit juices like grapefruit, Lime, mango, apple, etc.
So it’s normal to think that they might be as healthy as freshly squeezed juice blend.
However, that’s not the case,
Izze drinks do contain fruit juices, but they are not as healthy as drinking real fresh fruit juices.
That’s because Izze drinks are made with fruit juice concentrate, which is a thick syrup made by removing water from the fruit pulp.
The process of removing water from the pulp is often done by heating the fruit, which results in the loss of many nutrients, including heat-sensitive vitamin C.
When ready to reconstitute, water is added back into this thick syrup, but unfortunately, not the nutrients and fiber that were removed during removing water.
This is the reason Izze drinks do not offer any nutritional benefits and cannot be compared to fresh fruit juices.
Are Izze drinks the best flavored sparkling water?
Let’s compare Izze drinks to some of the most popular flavored sparkling water.
1. Izze vs Poppi
Izze drinks are less healthy than Poppi.
Here’s why:
- Izze drinks are high in sugar (14-15g), while Poppi contains 4-5 of sugar per serving. However, it’s worth noting that Poppi’s sweetness comes from added organic cane sugar and stevia.
- Izze drinks are higher in calories (70) than Poppi (25) per serving.
- Izze drinks contain zero fiber, while Poppi provides 2g of fiber per serving.
2. Izze vs Wildwonder
Izze drinks are less healthy than Wildwonder.
Here’s why:
- Izze drinks are high in sugar (14-15g), while Wildwonder contains 6g of sugar per serving.
- Izze drinks are high in calories (70) than Wildwonder (30-35) per serving.
- Izze drinks contain zero fiber, while Wildwonder provides 5g of fiber per serving.
- Wildwonder brings an extra benefit to the table by being probiotic, which Izze drinks do not offer.
3. Izze vs Spindrift sparkling water
Izze drinks are less healthy than Spindrift.
Here’s why:
- Izze drinks are high in sugar (14-15g), while Spindift contains just 0-3g of sugar per serving.
- Izze drinks are higher in calories (70) than Wildwonder (3-17) per serving.
Note that when it comes to juice composition, Izze drinks contain the most. They contain 60% fruit juice, which is the highest of all the other sparkling water brands.
This is the reason they have a high natural sugar content.
Are Izze drinks good for weight loss?
Izze drinks are not an ideal choice for weight loss as they are high in sugar. Yes, it’s natural sugar, but consuming too much of it can still lead to weight gain.
It’s best to enjoy Izze drinks in moderation on a weight loss diet.
Note that weight loss depends not only on one food or drink but overall diet and lifestyle.
Do Izze drinks have caffeine?
Izze drinks do not contain caffeine and can be enjoyed by those sensitive to caffeine.
Are Izze drinks gluten-free?
Izze drinks are gluten-free as they do not contain any gluten-based ingredients.
Are Izze drinks vegan?
Izze drinks are vegan as they do not contain any milk or animal-based ingredients.
Final words
As people have become more aware of the unhealthy effects of drinking soda, fruity bubbly drinks like Izze have become more popular.
However, while Izze drinks are a better choice than sodas, they are not entirely healthy for you.
Izze drinks are high in natural sugar which can result in unwanted health issues when consumed too much.
Izze drinks are made with fruit concentrate and lack the nutrition that freshly squeezed fruit juices provide.
Moreover, when compared with other similar drinks, Izze drinks are not the healthiest contenders in the market.
But because Izze drinks are made with natural ingredients and do not contain any added sugar or artificial additives, you can enjoy them in moderation.
In a nutshell, Izze drinks can be a healthy choice but in moderation.
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