Is Zevia Bad For You? Why Zevia is the Only Soda You Need in Your Fridge?
Zevia is a popular brand of beverages that claims to offer a healthier alternative to traditional sodas, teas, and energy drinks.
But is Zevia bad for you?
What are the benefits and drawbacks of drinking Zevia?
In this blog post, we will explore the nutrition facts, ingredients, and reviews of Zevia to help you decide if it fits your lifestyle and preferences.
What is Zevia?
Zevia is a beverage brand that replaces traditional sugar or sweeteners in soft drinks, tea, and energy drinks with a natural sweetener called stevia.
The company even has a sparkling water drink called “Zevia Kidz” for Kids.
None of their products contain added or caramel colors, so the drinks are all clear except their tea line.
Zevia offers a variety of refreshing and delightful Zero Sugar, Naturally Sweetened Beverages made from real ingredients.
Nutritional Facts of Zevia
Zevia drinks have zero calories, zero sugar, zero artificial sweeteners, and zero net carbs. They are sweetened with stevia leaf extract.
These drinks also contain natural flavors and colors, and some of them have caffeine from natural sources.
The nutrition facts of Zevia Drinks is provided below.
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | 0 |
| Total Fat | 0 g |
| Sodium | 0 mg |
| Total Carbs | 0 g |
| Sugars | 0 g |
| Protein | 0 g |
| Caffeine | Varies by flavor (42-45 mg per can) |
Ingredients of Zevia Drinks
According to their official website, Zevia drinks have the following key ingredients:
| Ingredient | Function or Use |
|---|---|
| Carbonated water | Adds carbonation and fizz to the drink |
| Natural flavors | Provides the taste and aroma of each flavor |
| Stevia leaf extract | A natural sweetener that adds sweetness without calories or sugar |
| Citric acid | Provides tartness and enhances the flavor |
| Tartaric acid | Provides tartness and enhances the flavor |
| Caffeine | A natural stimulant that can help increase energy and alertness |
Note: Zevia offers a variety of flavors. So the exact ingredients may vary slightly depending on the flavor. However, the ingredients listed above are generally common across almost all Zevia products.
Is Zevia Bad For You?
Zevia is a zero-calorie, zero-sugar drink that is sweetened with stevia leaf extract that does not raise blood sugar levels.
However, Zevia does not provide any significant vitamins or minerals either.
Some people may experience gastrointestinal discomfort from large amounts of stevia, such as diarrhea or stomachaches.
Citric acid may also cause some short-term digestive issues.
Zevia may also contain caffeine, which can have positive or negative effects depending on the individual and the amount consumed.
In summary, Zevia is not necessarily bad for you, but it is not a healthy food either. It may be a better alternative to regular soda for some people who want to avoid sugar and artificial ingredients.
However, it should be consumed in moderation and with awareness of its potential side effects.
Benefits of Zevia
Some of the possible benefits of Zevia are:
Drawbacks of Zevia
Some of the possible drawbacks of Zevia are:
Side Effects of Zevia
Some of the possible side effects of Zevia are:
How much Zevia is safe to drink?
Zevia uses stevia as a natural sweetener which is generally considered safe and healthy. But it may have some side effects such as blood-sugar issues and DNA damage if consumed in excess.
The World Health Organization (WHO) suggests limiting stevia consumption to about 4 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day.
This means that the recommended intake of Zevia may vary depending on your body weight and the amount of stevia in each drink.
A typical packet of stevia sweetener contains about 21 milligrams, but Zevia does not disclose how much stevia they use in their products.
A rough estimate based on the WHO guideline is that you can safely drink about two cans of Zevia per day. However, this may vary depending on your individual sensitivity and tolerance to stevia.
If you experience any digestive issues or other symptoms after drinking Zevia, you should reduce your intake or avoid it altogether.
Is Zevia Bad for Your Kidneys?
The manufacturing company of Zevia claims that it is kidney-friendly as it contains no phosphate, potassium, or calcium additives.
However, stevia may have some negative effects on the kidneys, especially in high doses or long-term use.
Stevia may increase the speed at which the body ejects water and electrolytes through urine. This could put more stress on the kidneys.
Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor before consuming Zevia or any other stevia-sweetened products if you have any kidney issues or concerns.
Is Zevia Good for Diabetics?
Zevia uses a natural sweetener called stevia instead of sugar or artificial sweetener.
They claim that their products have no effect on blood sugar levels as they contain no sugar and only natural ingredients.
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, Stevia is a safe alternative for people with diabetes as it has antioxidant and antidiabetic properties and does not affect blood sugar levels.
Is Zevia Bad for Your Teeth?
Zevia is safe for teeth as it does not contain any of the harmful ingredients such as sugar or acid that regular soda does which can cause cavities or enamel erosion.
However, Zevia still contains carbonated water which may have some mild effects on the teeth such as reducing the saliva flow or altering the pH balance.
Therefore, it is important to drink water after consuming Zevia or any other carbonated beverage and to maintain good oral hygiene by brushing and flossing regularly.
Is Zevia Bad for Your Liver?
According to a study published in the National Library of Medicine, Stevia may have some beneficial effects on the liver such as reducing signs of fatty liver disease, preventing experimental cirrhosis, and lowering hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.
However, these studies were conducted on mice or rats and more research is needed to confirm the effects of stevia on human liver health.
Is Zevia Good for Weight Loss?
Zevia may have some positive effects on weight loss, such as reducing calorie intake, boosting metabolism, and improving blood sugar control.
However, these effects are not proven by scientific studies and Zevia alone cannot cause weight loss.
Weight loss depends on many factors, such as diet, exercise, genetics, and health conditions.
Is Zevia better than Coke zero?
Zevia and Coke Zero are both zero-calorie beverages that aim to satisfy the taste buds of soda lovers without adding sugar or calories. However, they have some differences in their ingredients, flavors, and health effects.
Here are some of them:
- Zevia uses a natural sweetener called stevia while Coke Zero uses artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and acesulfame potassium.
- Zevia has no artificial colors or caramel colors, while Coke Zero has both.
- Zevia has more variety of flavors than Coke Zero.
- Zevia may have some benefits for health, such as reducing calorie intake, improving blood sugar control, and preventing tooth decay. Coke Zero may have some drawbacks to health such as increasing cravings, disrupting gut bacteria, and interfering with hormones.
Therefore, whether Zevia is better than Coke Zero depends on your personal preference, taste, and health goals. Both drinks should be consumed in moderation and as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle.
The Bottom Line
To sum it up, I would say that Zevia is not bad for you, but it is not healthy either.
Zevia may have some benefits for your health, such as reducing your calorie intake, improving your blood sugar control, and preventing tooth decay.
Zevia may also have some drawbacks to your health, such as increasing your cravings, disrupting your gut bacteria, and interfering with your hormones.
Therefore, whether you choose to drink Zevia or not depends on your personal preference, taste, and health goals.
If you enjoy the taste of Zevia and want to avoid sugar or artificial sweeteners, you can drink Zevia in moderation and as part of a balanced diet and lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zevia is a brand of zero-calorie, zero-sugar beverages that use stevia, a natural sweetener instead of artificial sweeteners or sugar. Zevia offers a variety of products such as soda, energy drinks, organic tea, mixers, Kidz drinks, and sparkling water.
Stevia is a plant native to South America that has been used for centuries as a natural sweetener. Stevia has no calories, no carbohydrates, and does not affect blood sugar levels. Stevia is also 200 times sweeter than sugar, so only a small amount is needed to sweeten beverages.
Yes, some of Zevia’s products contain erythritol, a sugar alcohol that is naturally found in fruits and vegetables.
Yes, all of Zevia’s beverages are non-GMO, which means they do not contain any genetically modified organisms.
Yes, Zevia’s beverages are free of the 9 FDA-regulated allergens, which are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. Zevia’s beverages are also free of corn and sulfites.
No, Zevia’s beverages do not contain any gluten.
Yes, Zevia’s beverages are certified kosher by the Orthodox Union (OU), an organization that certifies the kosher status of products according to Jewish dietary laws.
Yes, Zevia’s beverages are vegan, which means they do not contain any animal-derived ingredients or by-products. Zevia’s beverages are also certified vegan by Vegan Action (VA), an organization that certifies the vegan status of products according to ethical standards.
Zevia’s beverages are clear because they do not contain any artificial colors or caramel colors.
You can buy Zevia online from their website or from other online retailers such as Amazon. You can also find Zevia at many grocery stores and retailers across the United States and Canada. You can use their store locator to find a store near you that carries Zevia.
