Trendy Health Drinks: Do They Really Work?

From vitamin-infused vodka to fat-burning coffee, find out which drinks offer real benefits and which are just marketing ploys. (20 Photos)

Melissa F. Pheterson on Dec 9, 2010 at 12:46PM

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Trendy Health Drinks: Do They Really Work?

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Healthy or Just Hype? Pomegranate Juice



Goes by: POM Wonderful

Celeb fan: Orlando Bloom

Hit the scene: 2002

Claims to: Prevent or cure diseases like diabetes and cancer

Bottom line: Orlando may dig POM, but this year, both the FDA and FTC cracked down on POM Wonderful for allegedly making “misleading claims” about its products. Though POM Wonderful insist its statements are backed by scientific research, experts disagree. “Processing any fruit into juice alters its chemistry and detracts from its nutritional value,” says Manuel Villacorta, RD, national spokesman for the American Dietetic Association. “The juice might retain some antioxidants, but those antioxidants are far less effective when divorced from other nutrients in the fruit itself.”

Better choice: Pomegranate seeds

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