The Big Water Cover Up: Are Sugary Sports Drinks Doing More Harm Than Good?

BOISE, ID--(Marketwire - March 11, 2008) - What will be your child's greatest health risk in school be this year: dehydration or obesity? It's likely that they will be affected by both.

According to national statistics, the numbers of heat-related deaths among middle school, high school and college football players last year were at their highest level since 1936, with a total of 19 football-related deaths due to dehydration in 2006 alone.

When it comes to hydration drinks, the choices seem endless, from newfangled electrolyte and vitamin enhanced water to the "old" standby sports drinks. While these drinks may claim to combat dehydration and enhance energy, are the high fructose corn syrups in these drinks worth the risk when it comes to an even bigger health crisis?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 9 million children ages 6-19 are overweight or obese, a number that has tripled since 1980.

But a Boise company plans to take on the challenge of dehydration and obesity with their natural hydration beverage called ReddRox. The product was developed out of the vision of the company's founder, Lisa Marie, who says they are aware of the competition when it comes to sports drink giants, but remain confident in their unique formulation and bigger mission to get children to pass on sugar laden drinks.

"We were determined to find a healthier hydration drink that wasn't loaded with high fructose corn syrup, additives or artificial dyes," says Marie, who has partnered with many professional athletes who have been testing the product for the past couple of years and providing feedback on performance. "We have a real childhood obesity crisis in this country, so as a parent it became my personal goal to find a better option."

Marie worked with Dr. Marc S. Micozzi to find a hydration alternative. They found the answer in a South African plant that natives refer to as "red bush" and that local athletes were using as a hydration drink. They developed a way to crystallize the African red bush into granules that are 100-percent water soluble.

ReddRox is naturally caffeine free, and contains no sugars, calories, additives, preservatives, oxalic acid or colorants and contains the antioxidants of green tea without the unpleasant diuretic effect. But the key is that it adds back the natural minerals and electrolytes needed for hydration.

"What most Americans don't know is that most bottle and tap water is sterile which means they have removed the contaminants but by doing this they also removed the natural electrolytes and minerals required to hydrate the body on a cellular level," says Micozzi. "Drinking sterile water daily can wash out electrolytes from your body."

Many professional football trainers who have used ReddRox as part of their athlete's regimen say they have observed increased stamina in their training and performance.

Gary Craner, Boise State University head athletic trainer, says he has seen good results with athletes who have tried the drink. Craner said it's always a challenge to get athletes to drink enough water but that hasn't been the case with ReddRox.

"We started putting ReddRox in the water and the players started drinking a lot more," Craner says. "As a result the student athletes have experienced little cramping that normally takes place when athletes don't drink enough water."

Over 100 professional football players are drinking ReddRox. It can be purchased at health food stores and online at: http://www.reddrox.com.

Contact Information: Media Contact: Amy Summers 727-848-1618 ext. 202 Pitch Inc.