Promise Activ Supershots

The Promise line of functional, “heart-healthy” products is manufactured by Unilever…the parent company of a number of familiar supermarket brands, from Lipton Tea to Wishbone Salad Dressing (not to mention Slim Fast).  There are two kinds of Supershots: one containing plant sterols (to reduce serum cholesterol), the other fortified with potassium (to help control blood pressure).  Each comes in several different fruit flavors…the cholesterol Supershots come in Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry and Peach Flavors, while the blood pressure Supershots come in Strawberry-Banana, Mixed Berry and Peach-Apricot.

Manufacturer’s Description: Drink to your health with Promise® SuperShots®, great tasting, powerful functional shots your body will love.

With natural plant sterols, ingredients clinically proven to help remove cholesterol from your body.

Essential, heart healthy fruit blends which provide a good source of potassium in a convenient 3 fl oz serving*. Potassium can help flush sodium from the body.

Serving Size 1 bottle (100ml) Calories 70 Calories from Fat 30 Total Fat 3.5g Saturated Fat 0g Trans Fat 0g Cholesterol 0mg Sodium 30mg Total Carbohydrate 8g Dietary Fiber <1g

Sugars 8g Protein 1g Vitamin A 10% Vitamin C 0% Calcium 4% Iron 0% Vitamin E 10% Vitamin B6 35% Vitamin B12 20%

Ingredients: Water, Cultured Nonfat Milk, Sugar, Plant Sterol Esters (Soy), Blueberry Juice (Water, Blueberry Juice Concentrate), Canola Oil, Pectin, Malic Acid, Mixed Tocopherols (used to protect quality), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Tartaric Acid, Red 40, Carrageenan Gum, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E Acetate), Sucralose, Maltodextrin, Vitamin A (Palmitate), Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Blue 1.

Comments: I picked up a 4-pack of the cholesterol-lowering Activ Supershots at my local Fred Meyer store for $3.50. They’re tiny bottles…100 ml is less than half a cup. Thus, “shot” is the correct term, as you can get the entire thing down in about 2 gulps.

I purchased the blueberry-flavored Supershots.  These were tasty enough: fruity and sweet, with a slight yogurt “tang.” According to the product label, each shot supplies 2g of natural plant sterols per serving – an amount approved by the American Heart Association as a “therapeutic option” for lowering LDL (”bad”) cholesterol.

However, the $64,000 question is: will a regular intake of phytosterol-fortified foods actually reduce one’s risk of heart disease?  There is surprisingly little data on this point, and some cautions have recently been raised.  According to a review published in the European Heart Journal, increased serum sterol concentrations may be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease.  However, no adverse health effects have been reported from the consumption of plant sterols, to date.

The “blood pressure” Supershots are also questionable, as it’s clear this claim is based solely on the potassium content.  Each shot provides 350mg: which is a decent, but not outstanding amount (only 7 1/2% of the recommended daily intake of 4700mg).  To be blunt, you can get more potassium from ordinary food sources, such as a medium banana (420mg), a small (4 oz) sweet potato (540mg) or a glass of orange juice (450mg).  For the same 50 calories, a cup of low sodium V-8 will supply more than twice as much (820mg per 8 oz serving)…not to mention more nutrients, overall.

Taste: 5.0/5.0

Quality: 3.0/5.0

Efficacy: 2.5/5.0

Value: 2.0/5.0

Overall: 3.0/5.0

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