They contain no artificial sweeteners, colours, or preservatives and their natural 'health boosting' claims entice millions worldwide to spend an incredible £2.8billion on these drinks a year. But what health benefits - if any - do they really have?
'Drinking "natural" is a lifestyle choice because too often we assume artificial ingredients are bad for us,' says nutritionist Dr Carrie Ruxton.
'Although there are lots of scare stories about artificial additives, E numbers have been tested rigorously by the European Union and put on an approved list. Health drinks are mainly water and many products don't contain enough of an active ingredient to make a difference to you,' she adds.
Here Dr Ruxton takes a closer look at the bestselling natural beverages to see what they might - or might not - do for your health.
Red Bull Cola, 69pIngredients: Water, sugar, carbon dioxide, caramel sugar syrup, natural flavourings from plant extracts (0.37pc), galangal, vanilla, mustard seeds, caffeine from coffee beans (0.013pc), lime, cola nut, cocoa, liquorice, cinnamon, lemon, ginger, coca leaf, orange, corn mint, pine, cardamon, mace, clove, lemon juice concentrate.
Verdict: Caffeine from the coffee beans and cocoa is a stimulant and in moderate amounts it makes you more alert, improves cognitive functions and sports performance. Safe limits are 300mg to 500mg a day - after that you may have sleep problems. But this has a tiny amount of caffeine, almost negligible.
It's interesting that coca leaf - another stimulant - is in there because it is classed as a drug in the US (but not in the UK) thanks to its link with cocaine. Cardamon and mace don't add to the stimulant effect, they are simply for flavour.
Purdeys Multivitamin Fruit Drink, 82pIngredients: Fruit juices from concentrate 57 per cent, (grape, apple), carbonated spring water 42 per cent, botanical extracts (damiana, bayberry bark, prickly ash bark, Chinese ginseng), natural flavourings, citric acid, Vitamins (C, niacin, B6, thiamin, riboflavin, folacin, B12), glucose. Free from caffeine and artificial sweeteners.
Verdict: The active ingredient here is damiana, which is linked to weight management. A study on the herbal remedy Zotrim, which contains damiana, yerba mate and guarana found significant weight loss. The herbs are believed to stimulate metabolism and increase feelings of fullness.
The Chinese root ginseng - which is less active than the Siberian form - is thought to reduce stress. But is there enough here? You need between 0.3g and 2g a day of ginseng to have any effect on stress. Folacin is good for women who are planning to get pregnant, but the rest is all fluff. There might be a study on a mouse somewhere to say bayberry bark is good for you, but it doesn't mean it's any good for humans.
Naked Superfood, £2.30Ingredients: Apple juice 59pc, mango puree, pineapple juice 10pc, banana puree, kiwi puree 9pc, botanical extracts 0.5pc, powdered spirulina, chlorella, broccoli, spinach, barley grass, wheat grass, parsley, ginger root, blue green algae and odourless garlic, natural flavourings. No added sugar, no preservatives.
Verdict: Probably very tasty as apple, mango and pineapple are all very sweet, but there's not much of real value in there.
Garlic is good for the heart, but I doubt there's enough in here to have an effect. As for powdered spirulina, chlorella, blue green algae etc, these things may have benefits but there's no evidence on humans. In 2010, when new health regulations come in, this drink will not be allowed to say it contains a 'superfood' unless it has an approved health claim.
Firefly - All Natural, £1.49Ingredients: Still water, fruit juices from concentrate (white grape, grapefruit, orange, passion fruit), apple juice extract, botanical extracts 1pc (yerba mate, Siberian ginseng, cardamom, guarana, rosemary, Chinese wolfberry), natural flavourings.
Verdict: There is evidence that yerba mate and guarana are linked to weight management. Guarana is also a natural source of caffeine and ginseng is believed to lower physical and mental stress. Chinese wolfberry (aka goji berry) is an approved ingredient in the EU but some people could be adversely affected by it. Two case reports described elderly women who experienced increased susceptibility to haemorrhaging. It's wise to avoid anything used in Chinese medicine if you have any underlying conditions or are pregnant.
Big Shotz, £1.49Ingredients: Water, fruit juice from concentrate (apple 14pc, mango 12pc, passion fruit 5pc), fructose, inulin, malodextrin, fish oil. Mineral premix: Magnesium phosphate, calcium phosphate, zinc gluconate, sodium selenite, ferric pyrophosphate, copper gluconate. Acidity regulators: Citric acid, malic acid. Flavourings. Vitamin premix: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, niacin, beta-carotene, biotin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folic acid, Vitamin D, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B12. Thickeners: Guar gum, xanthan gum, Korean ginseng. No artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners.
Verdict: Good to see this has the prebiotic inulin - this helps stimulate good bacteria in your body and it also helps you to absorb calcium and magnesium. You need 2g-5g for it to be of any benefit but we don't know how much is in this drink. I'm doubtful there is enough fish oil. You need 5ml to 10ml a day, which would surely affect the taste in such a small bottle.
The label says it contains your 100 per cent recommended daily amount of all the vitamins apart from Vitamin A, which is sensible as too much Vitamin A is not good for pregnant-women.
Sip (your way to better, beautiful skin), £1.29Ingredients: Water, fruit concentrate, lemon juice concentrate, natural flavours, herbal extract blend (lime flower, rose petal, sweet violet, marigold, heather, white tea), antioxidants, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), sodium selenite, natural beautifying complex with no artificial sweeteners.
Verdict: I can't find anything that will help the skin apart from Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. I have found no clinical evidence that lime flower or rose petal have any benefits for the skin. And at £1.29 for 500ml you'd be better off eating an orange.
