Health, let’s drink to that

Functional beverages are catching on worldwide from Canada to Singapore promoting wellness. Opting for vitamin-packed water or drinkable probiotic yogurt was just the beginning - in 2010 immune-boosting sips are all the rage.

Functional foods have been a growing trend in preventative health, and now functional dairy and fruit drinks are becoming wildly more popular around the world.

The June print edition of Beverage World highlighted, "consumers are showing an increased interest in beverages that claim to boost the body's natural defenses or support overall wellness."

Nutraceutical companies (TwinLabs, InterHealth Nutraceuticals, Danisco) have begun collaborating with beverage companies (AriZona, Juicy Juice) to produce an array of products with pro-immune ingredients promoting advanced technologies and bioavailability of immune-enhancing extracts, herbs, pre- and probiotics including ashwagandha extract, phytonutrients from açai and sea buckthorn, colostrum, L-OptiZinc, Wellmune, and EpiCor.

Some beverages include:

MonaVie (M)m?m 750ml/$28 (€22.78)
AriZona Rescue Water Immunity 606ml/$1.89 (€1.53)
Col+, pack of three 100ml/ S$6.95 (€4.05)
Oasis Health Break Immuniforce 1.75L/C$0.99 (€0.77)
Naked Juices (Probiotic, well being) 45ml/$3.99 (€3.24)
Juicy Juice Immunity 100ml $4.25 (€3.45)