Vitamin water in 'Saldo' test: Most are disguised sugary drinks
The bottles feature terms like 'Reload', 'Vitamin Active', or 'Hydrate'. That sounds good. But it's not true, because these vitamin waters mainly contain sugar. And far too much of it.
I, too, have reached for the bottle more often than I should. After a run with a few intervals, I quench my thirst with half a liter of «Reload». I should rethink that. Because as a test by the Swiss consumer portal «Saldo» shows, these little waters are not nearly as healthy as they claim to be.
The «Saldo» team sent ten products to various food laboratories for extensive testing. How much sugar is in them, how many B vitamins? Do they contain harmful substances?
First, the good news: In none of the ten products did the experts find toxic substances such as uranium or trifluoroacetic acid (TFA), which can impair reproductive ability.
Few vitamins, lots of sugar
The laboratories were not only looking for harmful substances, but also for vitamins. After all, manufacturers advertise their products as sports drinks that are better than «normal» water or other soft drinks.
The verdict is devastating. «Saldo» writes:
Vitamin waters are not healthy thirst quenchers, but sugary drinks that can contribute to the development of a fatty liver or type 2 diabetes.
The drinks are allowed to be advertised as low-calorie. However, this is solely because they contain sugar in the form of fructose. In this form, it has fewer calories than table sugar. Nevertheless, a half-liter bottle of vitamin water contains around 20 grams of sugar, which is why they are not considered healthy.
Are there at least vitamins in the water? Yes, says «Saldo». But it is rarely the amounts stated on the label. The test showed that the bottles contain different amounts, even though they come from the same manufacturer. This is due to sunlight and heat, which break down the sensitive vitamins. Therefore, manufacturers who are aware of the problem often add more vitamins to their drinks to ensure the stated amount is reached even if a bottle sits on the shelf for a long time. The private-label vitamin waters from Coop and Aldi, for example, contained 50 percent more vitamin B12 than stated.
At least that is not harmful, writes «Saldo». However, the vitamins are not particularly useful either. This is because the majority of the population in Switzerland is sufficiently supplied with vitamins A, C, B6, and B12. Additional vitamins from consuming such drinks provide no health benefits.
Tap water as an alternative
So, vitamin waters are too sweet, and the vitamins are unnecessary. And on top of that, they are significantly more expensive than mineral water. Seven products in the test cost more than 2 francs per liter. «Saldo» compares this with the cost of a liter of Swiss mineral water, which is available from around 20 centimes. Or you can use tap water. For 20 centimes, you can get 100 liters of tap water. For flavor, you can add a slice of lemon.
You can find the full report in the current printed issue of «Saldo» (No. 13/2026) or online here (subscription required).
Journalist since 1997. Stopovers in Franconia (or the Franken region), Lake Constance, Obwalden, Nidwalden and Zurich. Father since 2014. Expert in editorial organisation and motivation. Focus on sustainability, home office tools, beautiful things for the home, creative toys and sports equipment.
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