“Enhanced beverage” sounds like a good thing. It’s the recognized term for drinks that have supposed health, wellness or energy properties. Gatorade is one of the tent poles of the category. But the market is continuing to grow with more and more energy drinks and sports drinking hitting the stores all the time. In addition to these mainstays, newer drinks with added botanicals and health promises are also gaining popularity. Protein drinks and probiotic beverages are all over the shelves.

There is nothing new about the hype around “superfoods.” These drinks are the same. They boast of properties without explaining the science behind them, and they are too new to really have much research behind them. The FDA has urged people to think about the drinks they consume stating, “Ingredients that have been present in the food supply for many years are now being added to beverages and other conventional foods at levels in excess of their traditional use levels or in new beverages or other conventional foods.”

Drinks with CBD and hemp oil are helping to grow the market at a fast rate. Health and wellness drinks that are supposed to ease a problem — like CBD’s soothing effects sell well in a busy world.

“With less time in the working day to exercise, beverages that support an on-the-go lifestyle are therefore likely to prove popular,” explained Holly Inglis, a Consumer Analyst at GlobalData. “Healthy lifestyle trends have boosted the industry, with frequent adoption of healthier beverages dominating social media channels and supermarket promotions.”

Protein-packed coffees, energy drinks that speed weight loss, fruit beverages with added electrolytes and more are coming to stores near you. They make the old promises of Gatorade look amateurish. But all the enhancements come at the price of sugar.

We’re big fans of fruit-infused water. It’s refreshing, it’s a great tool to help you cut back on soda and it allows people who find water to be dull stay hydrated. However, we’re only fans when it’s homemade. The amount of sugar in store-bought enhanced drinks is horrifying.

GlobalData has forecast a 5.1% growth in 2019 for enhanced beverages, despite the fact that most of us are aware that these drinks are loaded with sugar. Research has shown that, even though we know that sugar-sweetened beverages are harmful to us, on average a person drinks two per week. People may believe that the electrolytes, vitamins or other additives are worth it.

If you have just been exercising and sweating a lot, one of these drinks may be something you are interested in having. For those of us seeking to lose weight, it might be better to avoid them. In the end, the best advice we can suggest is to read the nutritional information. It’s easy to see nice packaging with words lie “power,” “energy” and “muscle” and get drawn in. It happens to all of us. That’s why, when a product seems too good to be true, have a look at the calories, ingredients and actual percentages of nutrients. You might be reaching for plain water by the time you’re done reading it!