The SoBe line of  beverages is manufactured by the South Beach Beverage Company* - now a subsidiary of PepsiCo.  Their teas, juices and “Lifewater” drinks are fortified with various herbal extracts, nutrients and antioxidants.  The “Lean” line is fortified with 100% DV Vitamin C + chromium, as well as other nutraceutical ingredients such as Citrimax, ginseng, L-carnitine and/or guarana.  The drinks come in 6 flavors: Cranberry Grapefruit, Green Tea, Mango Peach, Peach Tea, Blackberry Currant and Energy. 

Manufacturer’s Description (Energy):  Be on top of the world and your diet with this low-cal version of SoBe Energy. It’s a thirst-quenching, citrus-flavored drink with zero sugar and lots of herbal infusions such as taurine, citrimax, ginseng and guarana.

Serving size 8 fl oz (240 mL)
Servings Per Container 2.5
Calories 5
Total Fat 0g
Sodium 15mg
Potassium 30mg
Total Carbs 1g
Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 100%
Calcium 0%
Iron 0%
Chromium 35%
Caffeine 32mg

Ingredients: FILTERED WATER, ORANGE JUICE CONCENTRATE, CITRIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVOR, LEMON JUICE CONCENTRATE, GARCINIA CAMBOGIA RIND EXTRACT, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), PECTIN, GUM ARABIC, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, SUCRALOSE, CAFFEINE, L-CARNITINE, GLYCEROL ESTER OF WOOD ROSIN, TAURINE, PANAX GINSENG ROOT EXTRACT, GUARANA (PAULLINIA CUPANA) SEED EXTRACT, CARAMEL COLOR, CHROMIUM PICOLINATE, BETA-CAROTENE (COLOR). CONTAINS MILK AND SOY

Comments: I picked up a couple of 20 oz. bottles of SoBe Lean Energy (above) and Blackberry Currant on my last trip to the store. The Energy was my favorite of the two: it’s a citrus-flavored drink, with an interesting sort of tangerine-grapefruit flavor. It was tangy and lightly sweet…without being excessively so. I didn’t note any particular energy boost, but then again, I wasn’t expecting one…there are only 32 mg of caffeine in a serving. The Blackberry Currant was also reasonably sweet and refreshing, with a decent berry flavor, but seemed more ordinary, by comparison.

I noted that – while both flavors ostensibly contained Citrimax and ginseng, there was no information on either the bottles or SoBe web site on the amounts per serving. I would not be surprised to discover these ingredients are largely “label decoration” and not present in any significant amount. Of course, neither one really makes a significant contribution to either fat loss (Citrimax) or energy/stamina (ginseng), so it’s probably a moot point. But the drinks are tasty, and undeniably low in calories, so can legitimately own the label “lean” regardless of whether the nutraceutical content is debatable.

Taste: 4.0/5.0
Quality: 3.0/5.0
Efficacy: 3.5/5.0
Value: 4.5/5.0
Overall: 4.0/5.0

*no connection to the South Beach Diet

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