Wendyl Nissen: Pick-me-up hit now comes in a can

Berocca Forward Red Berries. Photo / Supplied

Most of us are familiar with Berocca tablets, which we dissolve in water the morning after the big night before, or if we're feeling a bit run down and in need of some energy.

Now you can buy it ready made up to keep in your fridge.

Strangely this energy drink doesn't have an ingredients list, which I can only assume is because it is made by Bayer so is perhaps classed as a medicine or a supplement and therefore does not need to provide a full ingredients list.

But I can deduce what is in it from the nutritional panel and some other information on the packaging, I just can't put it in order of greatest ingredients first.

These amounts are per 250ml can.

Berocca Forward Red Berries. $8.50 for 4 250ml energy drinks.

Carbonated water

Citric acid

This will be in here as a preservative and possibly for flavouring.

Flavouring

This is the red berry flavour, which I will assume is artificial, as it doesn't state otherwise.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) 1.1 mg

This is necessary for almost every cellular reaction in the body and is vital to normal functioning of the nervous system and metabolism. It can be found in meat, whole grains, fish, and nuts. The recommended daily dose for a man is 1.2 mg and for a woman 1.1 mg.

Vitamin B3 (niacin) 16 mg

This acts like other B vitamins to create enzymes that are essential to metabolic cell activity, synthesise hormones, repair genetic material, and maintain normal functioning of the nervous system.

Great sources of this vitamin may be found in meat, fish, and whole grains. The recommended daily dose for men is 16mg for men and 14mg for women so this is about right for a man.

Vitamin B5 (panthothenic acid) 6mg

This is a coenzyme involved in energy metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. So it helps release energy from food and may relieve stress and fatigue. The recommended daily dose is 5mg, so this is just over that.

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) 1.4 mg

Like B5 this also performs as a coenzyme to carry out metabolic processes that affect the body's use of protein, carbohydrates, and fat so it can help release energy. It also has many other functions including promoting healthy cardiovascular, nervous, and immune systems and supporting healthy skin, hair, and normal red blood cell formation.

The recommended daily dose is 1.3 mg.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid ) 80mg

This is the go-to vitamin if you are feeling poorly. It is essential for tissue repair and helps metabolise other vitamins in your body such as folic acid and iron. It is also vital for a healthy immune and nervous system. The recommended daily dose is 45mg so this is well over that.

Magnesium 56.3mg

Magnesium has many health benefits but is primarily assists with the maintenance of the nervous system, cardiovascular system and bone health. The recommended daily dose is 420mg for men and 320mg for women, so this is well under that.

Zinc 10.1mg

In New Zealand some young and older women are at risk of being deficient in zinc which you get from red meat and seafood. Zinc is needed to make insulin, maintain a healthy immune system, and for male reproductive health. Recommended daily dose is 8mg for women and 14mg for men.

Natural guarana extract (contributes to caffeine content)

Guarana is basically caffeine in the form of Brazilian cocoa. It is not clear how much of it is in here. Total natural caffeine ( including from guarana) 80mg As the label says, this amount of caffeine is about the same as an average cup of coffee.

Natural cane sugar 12g

This is three teaspoons of sugar, so not nearly as sweet as some other energy drinks on the market which can have as much as 32g per 250ml.

My recommendations

To me Berocca has always been something you down in a hurry on your way out the door to help the hangover or give you a quick pick-me-up, so the fact this tasted just like a Berocca should mean it's not something you would want to sip on slowly.

I guess producing this "energy drink" to compete in a market full of them is a great marketing idea but I think they should have to be labelled in the same way, so that you can compare apples with apples.

Pricewise, 15 Berocca tablets will set you back $10.99 so that's 15 drinks as opposed to four of these for $8.50 so you are definitely paying for the convenience of not opening a bottle, putting a tablet in a glass and adding water.

The label suggests having one of these a day and according to my research the vitamins and minerals in the drink are about the daily recommended intake, except for magnesium.

If you're not a healthy eater then you might feel you need a boost but it's very much a personal choice whether you pay more for the ready made or dissolve the tablets.

Highlights

• Three teaspoons of sugar per 250ml serve.
• Enough vitamins and minerals to provide most of the recommended daily dose.
• More expensive than buying the Berocca tablets and dissolving them in water.