Enviga - Misplaced Pages

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{{Infobox Beverage | name = Enviga | image = The official Coca-Cola logo | type = Green Tea | manufacturer = The Coca-Cola Company | origin = United States | introduced = 2006 }}

Enviga is a green-tea/caffeinated, carbonated drink being marketed by the Coca-Cola Company and Nestle Switzerland. . When launched, industry analysts predicted Enviga would target active lifestyle consumers. According to the Coke, Eviga burns 60 to 100 calories per 3 x 12-oz. can. It is worth emphasizing Coca Cola quotes 60–100 calorie loss for three drinks – the loss for just one drink being only 20–33 calories.

According to 'Beverage Digest' flavoured bottled water, sports drinks and teas, are increasing sales with the decline in sales of sugary soft drinks - with cold tea the fastest growing non-carbonated beverage category in the US during the first half of 2006. Prior to launch, Coke had been trailing and losing market share in this space to Pepsi, Arizona and Snapple.

The principle active ingredient in green tea is the impressive nutraceutical epigallocatechin gallate EGCG.

Freshly brewed green tea has been consumed in Asia for perhaps 2-3,000 years. The first company to can green tea appears to be Ito En, Japan in 1985. Ito En Since then, perhaps hundreds of brands have been released , especially in Asia where green tea is extremely popular. These products have varying levels of EGCG, and many are highly sweetened.

There are three basic types of 'ready-to-drink' green teas - brewed, reconstituted (using tea extracts), and a combination of the two. Reconstitution more readily permits increased levels of active ingredients such as EGCG and L-theanine in the beverage. Some 'health drinks' contain high levels of EGCG plus other nutrients. An example is Veritee Wellness Drink from Switzerland.Veritee Bottled green tea is a refreshing beverage in its own right, and most of the bigger manufacturers also promote its medicinal benefits. However Coke is taking a different marketing tack, focusing on green tea's thermogenic qualities. Thermogenesis involves accelerating metabolism as a means of burning additional calories. Another beverage maker making weight loss claims is Jana Skinny Water, however in its case totally unrelated to green tea ingredients. Enviga's marketing focus on thermogenesis appears to have instigated a formula with a higher level of caffeine than normal. EGCG has a thermogenic effect with or without caffeine, but a nervous system primed with caffeine achieves increased levels of calorie burn. However, critics suggest the high caffeine level in Enviga is excessive and an attempt to gain increased weight loss via caffeine in its own right.

How green tea precisely causes the burning of calories is not clear, but one trade source suggests EGCG increases energy metabolism and fatty acid oxidation; inhibits fat cell development (apidogenesis); and/or reduces lipid absorption and increases fat excretion. Coca Cola is claiming 100 milligrams of EGCG per can. This is not a significantly different level to that provided in a 100ml of brewed green tea.

Coke is claiming to source their green tea from Ceylonese tea plants with particularly high levels of EGCG – "several times higher than that of other green-tea products."

This appears to be a misleading and irrelevent statement inasmuch the EGCG level in Enviga (100 mgs) should be capable of ready adjustment upwards or downwards simply by adding more or less tea extract to the formula.

Whilst the 20–30 calorie burn rate of Enviga is not insignificant, it should also be seen in the context of the typical diet of around 2500–3000 calories/day in Coke's target market.

ECGC has also been extensively researched for its medicinal properties. There are many studies suggesting EGCG protects against cancer. Whilst a recent study of 40,530 Japanese adults surprisingly failed to confirm this, it did demonstrate significant protective ability against stroke/heart disease and dental disease.

Another active ingredient in green tea is L-Theanine, which is a relaxant and has the remarkable effect of counteracting the jittery effect of caffeine. It is not clear how much L-Theanine is in Enviga, but its presence may more readily permit additional caffeine in the formula. One can of Enviga contains 100 mgs of caffeine, which is about three times the level in a can of Coke, and considerably higher than energy drinks such as Red Bull ] The recommended consumption of 3 Enviga's/day is coincidentally adding a very high level (300mg/day) of caffeine to the diet. This level appears to far exceed that required to synergistically prime EGCG's thermogenic effect. Perhaps this is an attempt to gain a thermogenic effect from the caffeine independent of EGCG, or it may relate to the addictive nature of high caffeine levels. According to Wikpedia, caffeine may be said to be addictive. Furthermore, because caffeine increases the production of stomach acid, high usage over time can lead to peptic ulcers, erosive esophagitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease ] In any event, the use of high caffeine levels in beverages is regarded by many as innapropriate and a fairly blunt instrument in achieving weight loss.

Clearly, consumption of multiple cans of Enviga will be required to achieve a significant weight loss benefit. By way of comparison, a moderate 30 minute walk by a 150 lb person expends about 150 calories – equivalent to 5–7 cans of Enviga.

Enviga appears to have added calcium, and green teas are naturally high in fluoride – a health/dental advantage and/or disadvantage depending on your point of view on this controversial subject.

Unfortunately, most bottled green tea beverages contain significant calorific content in the form of added sugars. Coca Cola states Enviga is calorie-negative – suggesting a lower sugar content than most bottled green teas.

Added sugar counteracts the calorie burning capabilities of green tea beverages. For example, Lipton's popular Green Tea contains 139 calories per bottle, which far exceeds its calorie-burning potential. Whilst it may not be a an ideal comparison, Enviga (at 5 calories) has only one seventh the calorific level of its sister product Coke, and slightly more than its diet range of cola's.

Those attempting to lose weight may be better advised to brew their own fresh, unsweetened green tea or white tea beverage rather than purchasing a sweetened, high caffeine, bottled green tea product. Despite the comparatively high cost, white tea is a more naturally sweet tea beverage than green tea, and contains marginally higher levels of EGCG.

Additional levels of EGCG and L-theanine can also be obtained at very low cost (about 10 cents per equivalent 2 cups of green tea) in capsule form from a number of supplement makers.

In summary, Coke is referring to Enviga's unique formula, but in the absence of further scientific data, its active ingredients do not appear to substantially differ from any other still or carbonated green tea products on the market. There are probable cardiovascular, dental and other health benefits in consuming green tea, including Enviga. However the consumption level required to achieve weight loss is substantial – particularly in sweetened tea. Good quality supplements containing high EGCG levels are probably a cheaper, more efficient, and (for some) a more convenient means of obtaining EGCG without added sugar and excessive caffeine. However, these are of no benefit for those seeking a medicinally superior alternative to sweetened and diet colas. Ideally, green tea beverages are palatable, refreshing, low calorie, low caffeine and unsweetened - with appeal to a broad spectrum of consumers - including children and the overweight. Whilst the EGCG in Eviga and other green tea beverages is of considerable medicinal benefit, its thermogenic weigh loss benefit is only modest. Moreover, its very high caffeine level at the recommended 3 cans/day makes it quite unsuitable for children, and those addicted or allergic to caffeine. At this level it also becomes a quite expensive way of achieving weight loss.

Coke and its business partner, Nestle, plan to introduce Enviga to the north eastern United States in November 2006. It will launch nationally in January 2007 and in Latin America, Europe and Asia later that year.

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