Syfo News
Kids’ Sugar Consumption Continues to Rise
Despite the growing body of information that’s been published (including on this site) about the negative effects of sugar on children’s health,…
Testimonials
"I’ve been hooked on Syfos for years. It’s SO much better than other seltzers or expensive sparkling waters. We get it at our local Publix in Florida. When we first started buying it many years ago, they kept running out. We asked them if they could increase their stock, and they did! So if you don’t see it in your local store, just ask."
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Syfo and Healthy Beverages
Why are Syfo Beverages so healthy? Here are just a few reasons:
- Our products are made with 100% purified water, purified through a seven-step process that includes reverse osmosis.
- They’re completely free of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
- Syfo Beverages have no preservatives or phosphoric acid.
- Our sparkling waters are naturally-flavored, completely free of PG (propylene glycol) and BVO (brominated vegetable oil).
- Syfo Beverages are free of food dyes and colors such as caramel color.
- Our products contain no sodium, potassium, chlorine or fluoride.
- Our glass and PET bottles contain no BPA (bisphenol A).
People often ask us about the many issues that surround the topic of healthy beverages. We thought we would highlight a few that have been under discussion a lot lately. Read on to learn more about these important topics:
- Carbonation
- PH levels
- Phosphoric Acid
- Fluoride
- Sodium
- Natural Flavoring that is PG (propylene glycol) free
- Bottles that are BPA free
CARBONATION AND HEALTHY BEVERAGES
Are carbonated beverages healthy for you? Is there a health risk in consuming carbonated beverages? What makes it confusing is that all carbonated beverages are usually lumped into the same category. However, not all carbonated beverages are the same. In fact, all Syfo Beverages are made with water that has been purified through a unique, multi-step process using double-micron and carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, deionization, ozonation and UV sterilization. Unlike many carbonated beverages on the market, Syfo Beverages contain no additives such as sugar, artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors, fluoride, caffeine, sodium, potassium, phosphoric, citric, tartaric or malic acids. Many of these additives have been implicated in diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, tooth decay, bone loss, and GI problems, so it’s important to know the differences between Syfo and other types of carbonated beverages.
PH LEVELS AND HEALTHY BEVERAGES
Our water (we call it our feedstock) comes from the Floridan aquifer within the Oklawaha Watershed situated in the north central part of the state near Ocala, Florida. The water is piped into Leesburg from a public water supply well. This water is tested by the Lake County Utility Department and you can obtain the water quality report from the Lake County website here.
The feedstock water tests at a pH of 6.26, almost neutral. We purify the feedstock water using a multi-step purification process, which includes double-micron and carbon filtration, reverse osmosis, ozonation, deionization and UV sterilization. This approach removes all minerals, chemicals, organic and inorganic compounds, pharmaceuticals as well as bacteria and viruses. We then inject carbon dioxide into the purified water to carbonate it. Carbonation drops the pH and our Original Seltzer averages a pH of 4.0. A lower pH also inhibits biological growth. A pH reading at this level has no known negative health effects.
NO PHOSPHORIC ACID IN SYFO BEVERAGES
There has been much discussion of late about the negative health impact of the phosphoric acid present in soft drinks. Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to some carbonated soft drinks to give them a sharper flavor and keep the bubbles from going flat. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria, which otherwise would multiply rapidly in the sugary solutions of sodas and soft drinks. You can be assured that there is absolutely no phosphoric, tartaric, citric, or malic acid in any Syfo carbonated beverage. The intense fizz and tang in Syfo Beverages is due to the high carbonation found in our products and is not chemically introduced.
HEALTH IMPACT OF FLUORIDE IN WATER AND BEVERAGES
If you are concerned about the health effects of fluoridated water, be assured that Syfo Beverages are completely free of fluoride. In addition to purifying our water through a multi-step process, an independent laboratory conducts an annual analysis of samples of our purified water. Their sophisticated instruments can detect contaminants up to 1 part per billion. Our filtration and purification methods remove all traces of inorganic chemicals including fluoride, chloride and potassium. All of SYFO Sparkling Waters are made with this purified water base and unlike carbonated soft drinks, Syfo Beverages are free of preservatives, sodium, phosphoric or tartaric acid, caramel coloring or food dyes.
To learn more about fluoride and water, read this article.
HEALTH IMPACT OF SODIUM IN WATER AND BEVERAGES
Syfo Beverages are sodium free. Most health advocates, including The American Heart Association and The Center for Disease Control recommend that people limit their daily consumption of sodium. Recommendations range from 1500 milligrams to a maximum limit of 2,300 to 3,000 milligrams per day based on a person’s age and medical history. According to the Mayo Clinic website you should: “Keep in mind that these are upper limits, and less is usually best, especially if you’re sensitive to the effects of sodium. If you aren’t sure how much sodium your diet should include, talk to your doctor. Most sodium in the diet doesn’t come from adding salt to foods but in the highly processed foods we consume.”
THE NATURAL FLAVORS IN OUR BEVERAGES ARE PG (PROPYLENE GLYCOL) AND BVO FREE
All of Syfo Sparkling Waters are made with a purified water base. The all-natural flavoring used in Syfo is derived from the oil that is selectively extracted from the peel of the fruit. There are no preservatives, artificial colors, or flavors used in the manufacturing of the flavor. We support the term “natural” by using flavors that are PG (propylene glycol) free.
Propylene glycol is a derivative of natural gas and is used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and food products as a solvent and humectant. (A humectant is a substance that absorbs or helps another substance to absorb moisture). Although propylene glycol has GRAS status with the FDA (meaning it is Generally Recognized As Safe), we do not allow it in our flavorings. Instead we opt for vegetable based glycerin which is a natural humectant and naturally inhibits the growth of bacteria.
Unlike many sodas, we don’t use brominated vegetable oil (BVO) as part of our flavorings. BVO is a vegetable oil derived from soy and is used by some soda brands as an emulsifier to keep the flavoring from floating to the top of the drink. The bromine in BVO is a known endocrine disrupter and has been banned as a food ingredient throughout Europe and Japan.
Our Bottles Contain No BPA
BPA stands for bisphenol A, an industrial chemical that has been used to make certain plastics and resins since the 1960s. BPA is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins that are often used to store food and beverage products. This can include some water bottles and plastic food containers. Resins containing BPA are used to coat the inside of food or beverage cans and bottle tops.
Like BVO, BPA is a known endocrine disruptor and has been linked in research to developmental issues, reproductive problems and cancer. Our glass and 100% recyclable PET bottles contain absolutely no BPA.
To learn more about BPA, read this article on the Mayo Clinic website.