Your Mainstream Guide to Vitamins and Minerals in Drinks
Drink your vitamins and minerals! Yes, I’ll repeat it for mainstream people, meaning people on the go, drinking their food has fast become the norm. But don’t let these drinks fool you because they pack a lot of punch.
Need some energy boost? Easy! Just look for drinks that have B-vitamins to keep you on the go. Are you looking to detox the body? Gulp some cold-pressed juices that are rich in Vitamins A, C, and E or simply A.C.E. Want to keep your bones strong and healthy, reach for a yogurt smoothie that has potassium, vitamin D, and calcium. Refueling and rehydrating is your choice? Then grab a drink with vitamin B12, magnesium, and potassium.
The key here is understanding your vitamins and minerals to achieve your goal better. A lot of beverage manufacturers are formulating and fortifying their drinks from fermented, brewed, to carbonated water to deliver a healthier and more promising product that is stable all through its shelf-life.
Overcoming Gaps in Nutrition with Vitamins and Minerals in Drinks
When it comes to meeting our daily nutritional needs, according to the US Dietary Guidelines, the emphasis is placed on the consumption of nutrient-dense whole food and drinks. In an ideal world where people don’t make poor food choices, eating whole foods should be enough to support optimum health. Whole foods are the key because the body can not make nutrients and minerals; instead, they have to come from food sources. These are called essential nutrients that play a vital role in daily bodily functions. Since we don’t live in an ideal world, and neither are we always making the right food decisions, obtaining these critical nutrients from fortified food and drinks helps individuals meet their daily nutritional needs.
Carefully Fortified and Crafted Beverages
Technologically challenging, crafting fortified beverages takes a lot of research and knowledge that take into consideration not only the flavors, nutrient content but also the functional nutrients like fiber and protein as well as interactions between ingredients and the overall stability of the product.
Take, for example, the fat-soluble vitamins which are vitamins A, D, E, and K. Since they are soluble only in fat, it presents a challenge to add them to water-based drinks. Vitamins are organic substances and are inherently unstable as a whole. They are very sensitive to oxygen, light, and heat. Thus, processing them and adding them to a drink needs considerable knowledge.
Aside from vitamins, some minerals are used to fortify drinks. Minerals are inorganic and don’t break down quickly when processed. However, interactions between minerals are rampant, and a solid understanding is vital in its usage and fortification of drinks. Further, some minerals boost another mineral’s efficacy. Some form of the minerals are less effective, and the more effective form can be a bit costly, but the most effective form should be of paramount choice.
And lastly, lifestyles and ages of the targeted market are also important. Example, a nutritional beverage targeted for an adult athlete can be toxic to a toddler. That’s why the concept for a fortified drink should be adequately developed with a variety of factors to consider.
Inspired by www.foodbusinessnews.net
Choose GrandFusion® Real Food Vitamins & Minerals for Your Drinks
GrandFusion® fruit and vegetable powders have revolutionized the functional food and beverage marketing by enabling food processors to easily add real vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables without impacting the taste or texture of their end product. Interested in learning more about how we do it? Download our guide to Formulating Functional Foods and Beverages!
