VitaminWater flu-fighting claims "dangerous"

Consumer Reports News: February 04, 2011 02:11 PM

That's the complaint from the National Consumers League. The nonprofit organization this week urged the Federal Trade Commission to promptly put an end to the "unfair and deceptive" ads for the drink, including one that says "flu shots are so last year."

If that means you should skip the flu shot and drink VitaminWater instead, we beg to differ. While some VitaminWater drinks contain vitamin C and zinc, our recent report on flu supplements found those nutrients were unlikely to offer any benefit in flu prevention or treatment. In contrast, the flu shot is proven to reduce the risk of catching the flu by about 70 to 90 percent in healthy adults, and it's now recommended for everyone 6 months and older.

So if you drink VitaminWater, do it for the taste; not for warding off the flu.

—Ginger Skinner, web associate editor

Read more on how to prevent the flu.

—Aaron Bailey