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Enviga
The official Coca-Cola logo
Type	Ready-To-Drink Green Tea
Manufacturer	The Coca-Cola Company
Country of origin	United States
Introduced	2006

Enviga is a Nestea carbonated green-tea drink being jointly marketed by the Coca-Cola Company and Nestle Switzerland. . According to industry analysts, Enviga is intended to target the younger, active, lifestyle consumers. According to the Coke, Eviga burns 60 to 100 calories per 3 x 12-oz.(3 x 330 ml) cans. It is worth noting Coca Cola emphasizes a 60–100 calorie burn, however this applies to three cans, not one. The loss for just one can is 20–33 calories.

According to trade journal '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 2,000 - 3,000 years. The first company to can green tea appears to be Ito En, Japan Since then, many brands have been released , especially in Asia where green tea is extremely popular. These products have varying levels of EGCG, and most have considerable added sugar.

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, such as Veritee Wellness Drink from Switzerland.

Most larger manufacturers promote the refreshing and medicinal aspects of green tea. 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 higher added caffeine than usual in green teas. EGCG has a thermogenic effect with or without caffeine, but a nervous system primed with caffeine achieves marginally increased levels of calorie burn.

According to one trade source EGCG achieves weight loss through increased energy metabolism and fatty acid oxidation; inhibition of fat cell development (apidogenesis); and/or reduced lipid absorption and increased fat excretion.

Coca Cola is claiming 90 milligrams of EGCG per can. This is not a significantly different level to that provided in a 100ml of brewed green tea.

Coke sources their green tea from tea plants with particularly high levels of EGCG – "several times higher than that of other green-tea products." However, this claim appears misleading and irrelevent inasmuch the EGCG level in Enviga (90 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 loss/can 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.

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.

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.

It appears each can of Enviga contains 100 mgs of caffeine, which is about three times the level in each can of Coke, and considerably higher than energy drinks such as Red Bull . The recommended consumption of three Enviga's/day is coincidentally adding a surprisingly high level (300mg/day) of caffeine to the diet. This level appears to far exceed that required to initiate EGCG's thermogenic effect. It has been speculated this excess is intended to gain a thermogenic effect from the caffeine independent of EGCG, or perhaps contributing to dependency on the product through the addictive nature of caffeine. 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.

Enviga appears to have added calcium, and green teas are naturally high in fluoride – a dental health advantage 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 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 wishing to obtain thermogenic weight loss may consider brewing 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:

1. Some recent research suggests the synergistic interaction between different flavanoids in both green and black tea provides greater medicinal benefit than consuming just green tea or black tea alone.

2. Despite some contradictory evidence, EGCG appears to be protective against cardiovascular disease, cancer (including breast, prostate cancer and leukemia) some degenerative diseases, and dental disease.

3. Enviga contains considerably higher EGCG level than most of its principal direct rivals, but less than some more health-oriented beverages.

4. The active ingredients of Enviga do not appear to be particularly unique in any significant manner. However Enviga does contain twice the EGCG level of its competitor, Snapple, and in all probability much more than Liptons and Arizona.

5. If a green tea beverage is not bitter, it usually indicates low EGCG levels. Many of Eviga's direct competitors are marketing sweetened, fruit flavored beverages, almost flavored cordials, with very low levels of added tea extracts. Whilst this is clever marketing, their medicinal benefit is generally minimal.

6. 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. Although unproven, it may however be prudent to consume supplements with freshly brewed green and black tea to achieve the full synergistic effect.

7. As a guide, in one trial, 300 mgs/day of EGCG has been succesful in protecting against prostate cancer This is equivalent to just over 3 cans of Enviga/day.

8. L-theanine is another green tea component that acts as a relaxant, and counteracts some of the jittery effect of caffeine. It is recommended by some medical practioners as a treatment for anxiety and depression. It is unclear how much L-theanine Enviga contains - if any

9. Worldwide, the labelling of green tea drinks is woefully inadequate. Manufacturers are not compelled to include the level of individual flavanoids (of which there are many) plus L-theanine in each serve, making nutritional comparisons impossible for consumers.

10. Whilst the EGCG in Enviga appears to cause weight loss, it is a modest loss, and comes at the expense of its very high caffeine level. In this sense Enviga unusually combines aspects of a health beverage and energy drink - minus the energy.

11. The modest thermogenic effect of Enviga has been established in trials with young healthy people, but not in the obese.

12. Enviga appears to have a low sugar level compared to many non-carbonated bottled green teas. This suggests the use of artificial sweeteners.

13. The high sugar content in most green tea beverages, especially the non-carbonated teas, more than cancels out their thermogenic weight loss benefit.

14. One can of Enviga provides a calorie burn equivalent to a 5 minute moderate walk. For various health reasons, cardiovascular excercise such as walking would ordinarily be considered a superior weight loss option.

15. The cardiovascular benefits of moderate excercise in combination with the cardiovascular benefits of green tea is a seemingly ideal combination, particularly where the green tea is unsweetened, low caffeine, and high in ECGC. Enviga's formulation includes many of these desirable aspects in moderation, but not in regards the issue of caffeine.

16. Enviga is a nutritionally and medicinally superior beverage to sweetened and diet colas, except for its exceptionally high caffeine level.

17. Enviga's high caffeine level is a possible attempt to increase its thermogenic and addictive effect. However, in so doing it precludes use by children and those addicted or allergic to caffeine.

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.

Footnotes

Category:

Non-alcoholic beverages