Crystalline Fructose: A WiseGuise Diatribe

This substance has been on my mind since I first discovered it in beverages a couple months ago. It has the sound of something natural, and for the longest time I have been under the false assumption that 'fructose' was strictly a fruit sugar. Not so.

I'm not going to go into the lengthy description of what it is and how it's processed by your body, you may need physics and biology degrees to understand some of it, and I have neither, so I'm not going to try and explain it. Basically it comes down to this. Crystalline fructose is a sugar that is created by letting fructose crystallize in 'fructose-enriched' corn syrup. Hmm.

Ergo, it is produced from and similar to HFCS, but NOT the same, however, both are high in fructose, which is broken down by the liver, and too much of this over time can have adverse effects, including a fatty liver and cirrhosis. Not good. And even more disturbing, (if that isn't enough), CF contains arsenic and other heavy metals, deadly poisons you do not want collecting in your body.

From now on there will be no more reviews of drinks by me personally on this website that contain this ingredient, and Danithius had agreed to the same. I am sorry for any previous promotion of any beverage containing this substance.

-WiseGuise

Frützzo Organic Pomegranate Açai

Aroma : Mmmm. The familiar scents of pomegranate and pineapple are the most prevalent, with hints of black currant and açai. And yes, you can smell the 41 grams of (natural) sugar too.

Taste : Sweet and tangy right out of the gate, thanks to the pineapple and pomegranate, followed closely by the fainter tastes of currant and açai. The small açai on the label must mean they were aware that the berry's flavor was diminutive. The tartness of the pomegranate lingers the longest, but doesn't dry your mouth out.

Price : About $1.99 or higher for a 12oz bottle, mostly at WalMart.

Ingredients : Organic pomegranate, organic apple and/or organic pear, organic pineapple, organic açai, organic black currant juices from concentrate, and natural flavors.

Other Comments : Frützzo has a fun, funky little site, but nowhere to purchase their drinks online. Actually, I couldn't find anywhere online to purchase them, but plenty of other reviews. But you're not reading those, are you? Good. They remain a small company, with a line of all-natural drinks based on pomegranate juice, known for its health benefits, including the fighting of free radicals.

Overall : The flavors are strong and balanced, though it seems lacking in açai flavor. The bottle is pretty cool too, and apparently they won awards for the design. All in all, I found it a refreshing, tangy beverage that is high in antioxidants, but also high in sugar. If I had my choice between this and a much cheaper juice blend, I would still probably stick with this.

Rating : 4/5 stars.

-WiseGuise

Tazo Plum Pomegranate Green Tea

Aroma : The sweet fruity smell of plum and pomegranate come first, followed by the familiar scent of green tea, which evanesces before you have a chance to enjoy the expected earthy aroma of green tea.

Taste : The sweet plum juice mixes with the mildly tart pomegranate and is followed by the unpresumptuous green tea, which vanishes in the tongue sapping tart of the pomegranate, leaving a faint sweet aftertaste of plum, but no tea.

Price : $1.39 at Good Earth. Available at stores nationwide.

Ingredients : An infusion of (water, green tea, and natural flavors), cane sugar, concentrated plum and pomegranate juices, natural flavors, and citric acid.

Other Comments : The same self-aggrandizement continues on this bottle as noted on the other Tazo sampling. One Thing Danithius neglected to mention, the website is very hip and pedantic, but a bit difficult to maneuver the first time around. And the second.

Overall : This is a pleasant juice blend, particularly for those fond of tart fruits like pomegranate, but it is supposed to be a juice/tea blend, and the barely recognizable hints of tea spoiled my opinion of this as such. Good as a juice, not so as a tea.

Rating : 3.5/5 stars.

-WiseGuise