Beyoncé could partner up with a plywood company and woodworking would suddenly be the newest health craze. But that said, you may have just found your favorite new juice thanks to Bey. In 2017, the pop superstar announced that she bought a stake in WTRMLN WTR ($35; amazon.com), a cold-pressed, bottled watermelon juice that's available on Amazon.
“I invested in WTRMLN WTR because it’s the future of clean, natural hydration,” Beyoncé said in a press release. It’s also “your new sexy workout partner,” according to the company’s website, because the juice packs electrolytes and an amino acid called L-Citrulline that's thought to reduce muscle soreness and boost performance.
While there’s no doubt WTRMLN WTR is delicious—sweet and refreshing, it’s like sticking a straw into a melon and sipping—is it as healthy as it is tasty? We tapped Molly Kimball, RD, a sports dietitian in New Orleans, to get the scoop.
The nutrition facts
The ingredients are sound, says Kimball—just watermelon flesh and rind plus lemon. The juice is light: One 12-ounce bottle has 90 calories. And it’s loaded with lycopene, a powerful disease-busting antioxidant.
But the drawback is the sugar. While there’s no sugar added—it all comes naturally from the fruit—one cup of juice still contains 12 grams of the sweet stuff. “And there’s not a lot of fiber in here to balance that out,” says Kimball.
Is it a good recovery drink?
Like most sports drinks, WTRMLN WTR contains sugar and calories, which your muscles need during long bouts of exercise. It’s also an excellent source of potassium, an electrolyte that helps prevent muscle cramping, says Kimball. One bottle will net you nearly a third of the potassium you need in a day. That’s more than you get from sports drinks (popular brands supply about 1% of your daily value in 12 ounces) and coconut water (about 20% of your daily value), and about twice as much potassium found in a banana. Another benefit of the mineral: A high potassium diet is linked to lower blood pressure, says Kimball.
But WTRMLN WTR is missing salt. “The main electrolyte you’re losing during a sweaty workout is sodium,” explains Kimball. “If you’re losing a large volume of sweat during exercise, this [drink] won’t give you the sodium you need.”
As for the drink’s 520mg of L-Citrulline, studies do indicate that the amino acid may boost workout performance. But, as Kimball points out, the research suggests you need a good deal of Citrulline to reap the benefit: “The amount in this drink may fall short,” says Kimball.
The bottom line
“This drink is a great natural option if you crave something sweet, or use it as a replacement for a soda,” says Kimball. Afternoon might be an ideal time to sip, if that’s when the vending machine tends to beckon. Pair the WTRMLN WTR with some protein—like a hardboiled egg, cottage cheese, string cheese, or a handful of nuts—to make the juice part of a balanced snack that satisfies your sweet tooth and leaves you feeling energized.
So there you have it: This Beyonce-approved hydration drink was also given the nutrition stamp of approval by Kimball, and with that knowledge in mind, we're stocking up on the naturally-sweet recovery aid to enjoy in honor of National Watermelon Day tomorrow.
To buy: WTRMLN WTR Original Cold Pressed Juiced Watermelon, $35 for a 6-pack; amazon.com
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