Why Does Viactiv Calcium Contain Sugar?

This supposedly healthy supplement wallops you with excess sugar

I enjoy participating in product surveys and personal evaluations of the latest products because I feel like it gives me the ability in some small way to influence what actually comes to the marketplace. While I am the first to admit that I'm not your "normal" person when it comes to evaluating most food and health products because I am livin' la vida low-carb, it most certainly gives me great pleasure to represent those of us who are attempting to live a healthier lifestyle.

Recently I was asked a series of questions about whether I took vitamin supplements or not. HA! Ya think! Of course, as many of you know I take a big handful of pills daily (no prescription drugs, mind you, just supplements!) ranging from a multivitamin to calcium, Co-Q 10 to fiber, fish oil tablets to chromium picolinate and much more!

Yes, I LOVE my supplements and wouldn't think of living another day of life without them. Even if they're as useless to me as a placebo, the fact of the matter is they make ME feel better about my health. And that's all that matters.

When the survey company realized I qualified for their survey about supplementation, they asked me if I would be interested in giving them feedback about a specific product that they would mail for me to try--VIACTIV! Was this some kind of joke? I had never thought much about this particular supplement because it has a slogan that states "Active Nutrition for Women by Women."

Ooooookay, since I'm not a woman, why would I take this supplement? Perhaps that was the purpose of having a male survey participant taking this product to see if they can branch off into the other half of the market to increase their portion of the revenue pie so to speak. Fair enough and I was happy to give them my HONEST feedback. They ALWAYS get that!

So the package arrives in the mail this week and they ask me to stop taking any multivitamins, Vitamin K, Vitamin D, and Calcium supplements immediately and replace it with up to 3 of the Viactiv Calcium Milk Chocolate Soft Chews daily instead. The allure of this product is that you can enjoy a delicious way to get your calcium without the "big chalky pills" that are generally associated with calcium supplements.

There's no doubt in my mind that getting adequate amounts of calcium is important for anyone and everyone living a healthy lifestyle. Some people can get enough of it in their diet, but others of us choose to bump that level up with calcium carbonate supplements. So why not do it using a tasty chocolate soft chew, right? Sounds logical enough.

Well, there was just one problem with the Viactiv: the list of ingredients! As I do with ANYTHING I put inside my mouth these days, I turned to the nutritional label on this "healthy supplement" product to see what I would be ingesting. I immediately got completely bug-eyed at what I saw and decided right then and there that there was no way on God's green Earth I would be taking these Viactiv chews for my calcium intake.

Why? Read my response to the survey people today:

"The first ingredient is corn syrup.

The second ingredient is high-fructose corn syrup.

The fourth ingredient is sugar.

Three out of the first four ingredients are what I consider poison for my body. I am not diabetic, but I am on a healthy lifestyle change where I avoid sugar and corn syrup to keep my body weight low and my blood sugar regulated."

That's right, this health supplement is LOADED with sugar, corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup! EEEEK! Why don't they just tell people to grind up their calcium pills and melt them in the microwave on top of a Snickers bar instead?! It would be just as healthy for them as these soft chews and they'd still get their calcium by golly. Sheeez!

You know, these are the kind of products that make me just wanna hurl when I see them because they fool people into thinking they are doing something GOOD for their bodies because after all "it has calcium in it so you are helping your bones" or they market it as "for those people who care about their health." GAG ME! When the product has as much sugar in it as Viactiv Calcium Milk Chocolate Soft Chews do, then it is anything BUT healthy in my book.

Being the helpful person that I am, I suggested to the survey people that the makers of Viactiv need to consider an alternative to their product that DOESN'T contain sugar. Hmmm, that's a thought!

"Perhaps Viactiv would consider making a sugar-free version of their soft chew vitamins made with sucralose, acesulfame potassium, erithyritol, and/or oligofructose instead of sugar and corn syrup. Just avoid using the sugar alcohol maltitol because it can cause an unpleasant laxative effect.

I'm sorry I could not participate in the survey, but the thought of eating all that sugar was quite repulsive to me. Come up with a sugar-free version and I'm ALL OVER IT! :) THANKS!"

Wanna know what's ironic about all of this? Guess who the parent company for Viactiv is? It's McNeil Nutritionals! Does that company ring a bell with anyone? Come on, think hard. Okay, I'll let you off the hook because you won't believe this when I tell you.

McNeil Nutritionals is the same company that makes, markets, and manufactures the most famous artificial sweetener available today--can you believe it's SPLENDA?! Isn't this so ironic that the same company behind Splenda feels the need to load up their "healthy" vitamin supplement product with sugar, corn syrup, and high-fructose corn syrup?! UGH! What's wrong with this picture?!

Get a clue, McNeil Nutritionals! Start making Viactiv with a Splenda/ACE-K blend and I betcha it'll taste just as good. But even better than that is it will be much healthier for people who are livin' la vida low-carb and diabetic, too!

Don't you wonder sometimes whether these big companies think at all?

Why don't we express our concerns and make our suggestions about Viactiv directly to McNeil Nutritionals by using their contact page. Let them hear from YOU! :)

HFCS Not 'Mischaracterized,' But Nailed

Why does Audrae Erickson claim HFCS is good for you?

Guess who's unhappy with what I'm writing about sugar and its unhealthy subsidiary product high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) at this blog? It's none other than the President of the Corn Refiners Association named Audrae Erickson.

In a terse response to my article entitled "Diet Soda Study Results Are Absolutely Preposterous," Erickson claims that I "mischaracterized" HFCS as a "unique contributor to obesity." I had previously mentioned HFCS by name in only one other article I wrote at this blog. However, since Erickson has chosen to address the subject of HFCS, let's take a closer look at this villain to your health and waistline.

Erickson describes HFCS as "a natural, home-grown sweetener from U.S. corn fields."

Is that glowing, sentimental description of HFCS supposed to make people forget about how harmful it is for them to consume it? Sugar is sugar no matter what you call it. And HFCS is a potent sugar that is literally catastrophic to anyone who is trying to lose or maintain their weight. Why would anyone suggest otherwise?

Erickson asserted that scientific experts have found that HFCS is "not a unique contributor to obesity." But there are plenty of other studies that have found just the opposite to be true. I invite you to visit my friend Regina Wilshire's blog to get further educated about these new research findings. She'll be happy to share with you the very clear link that has been found between sugar in the form of HFCS and obesity.

But Erickson shocked me the most when she actually had the gall to claim that HFCS "has been proven beneficial to consumers through its use in many foods and beverages, including several products that are specifically made for people trying to control their weight."

Are you kidding me? Is Erickson actually suggesting that HFCS is good for you? The mere fact that it is found in foods and beverages does not necessarily mean it is not going to have an effect on your weight and health. That's like saying the alcohol found in beer is good for your because it is so prevalent in adult beverages. Just because it's in there doesn't mean you body needs it.

As for HFCS being included in products made for people trying to control their weight, that's not surprising since low-fat foods are generally loaded with sugar and/or HFCS. While this sweetener may not have any fat, HFCS is certainly not healthy. Anyone following a low-carb lifestyle knows to avoid this hidden sugar at all costs because it is nothing more than pure, unadulterated sugar!

Characterizing HFCS as "safe," Erickson said it's just as good as table sugar and honey. Is that supposed to make HFCS look better?! My contention is that those sugars are not good for you either! Sugar in ANY form can cause you to rapidly gain weight in excessive amounts.

But HFCS is a lot different than plain sugar. Actually, it is a highly refined, artificially-made product that transforms cornstarch into a sweet, thick and clear liquid that is sweeter than sugar and prevents the body from burning stored fat. Yikes! Not good when you are livin' la vida low-carb!

HFCS replaced sugar during the 1970's because it is cheaper to produce and the obesity problem has gotten progressively worse ever since. Americans consume more than 63 pounds each of HFCS annually today compared with just a half pound in 1970. Fifty-five percent of sweeteners used today are made from corn.

So the next time someone heralds the healthiness of HFCS, just remember it is a dangerous sugar that should be avoided if we are ever going to get this obesity problem under control. But we're glad to see the big boys are watching, though!

06/20/2005 UPDATE: I got the following e-mail from one of my faithful readers today in response to this article.

Hi Jimmy,

I just read your blog posting regarding Audrea Erickson's reply to your previous posting about HFCS. I nearly choked when she stated that it's "a natural, home-grown sweetener from U.S. corn fields." Natural?!! Far from it, considering the processing that HFCS goes through when manufactured. Here are some links regarding HFCS, one about the manufacturing process and the other about the effects that it has on heath:

http://www.westonaprice.org/motherlinda/cornsyrup.html

http://www.westonaprice.org/modernfood/highfructose.html

I quit eating sugar about 1 ½ years ago when I realized that Type II diabetes runs in my mom's side of the family after my mom was diagnosed with it. Fortunately, she had a doctor that advocated a low-carb diet for her to control it (which she has, and has lost about 30 lbs, too.) While I do not follow a particular low carb diet since I do not need to loose weight (I avoid sugar, grains and starchy foods and eat primarily meat, veggies, nuts and some fruits and dairy such as cheese), I have lost 10 lbs, gained a ton of energy (for years I complained to my doctor about fatigue and she want to put me on anti-depressants even though I knew I wasn't depressed) and most wonderful of all, my Irritable Bowel Syndrome which had plagued me for over 20 years literally disappeared overnight when I quit eating grains. My resolve to stick with this way of life is always strengthened when I read about people such as yourself, who have literally transformed their lives with a LC lifestyle. And I really do appreciate your dedication to tearing down the myths and fighting all the misconceptions out there regarding what Living La Vida Low-Carb is all about. Keep up the good fight!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your encouraging words and for sharing your story of success with me today. You really made my day!