Hannah H.
GT‘S Living Foods
Brand
Agua De Kefir
Product
$4
Retail Price
Trader Joe’s
Retailer
I feel immortal when I drink Agua de Kefir after hot workouts.
Imagine sparkling bubbles drifting through the golden glow of late summer afternoon sunshine. Now bottle that divine feeling. That’s what GT’s Agua de Kefir Orange Peach Mango drink tastes like. And its post-workout and long-term health benefits are even more impressive.
Read-In-3 Review: GT’s Agua de Kefir Orange Peach Mango
Delicious at First Sip
I’ve never tasted water kefir before, but since it’s a probiotic drink from GT’s Living foods (AKA the Synergy brand), I expected the lingering tang of kombucha. It turns out, Agua de Kefir is totally different: it’s the lightest, most refreshing beverage I’ve ever had. Don’t get me wrong – I’ve grown to love kombucha’s obstinate tartness. But everyone will find this orange, peach, and mango kefir water delicious at first sip.
I wanted to nurse my bottle so I’d have more time to write the review, but I ended up finishing it in about 5 minutes after my run. It’s addictively light, sparkling, and refreshing. It’s like hydration distilled into a glass of fresh, gently carbonated fruit juice. Just listen to it fizz.
So, it’s nothing like classic heavy, sugary grocery store fruit juices. The sweet fermentation makes the beverage buoyant, and the fruit juice/puree trio tastes freshly squeezed. If I focus, I can pick out the distinct flavors of orange, peach, and mango, but each full sip is a perfectly blended citrusy-tropical ambrosia. I can literally taste that there’s nothing artificial here.
Most fruit drinks, sports drinks, and even many kombuchas leave a thin film of sweeteners on my teeth. In contrast, water kefir feels clean and pure, and I feel uplifted drinking it.
Agua de Kefir is a Thirst-Quenching Elixir
The tagline for GT’s Agua de Kefir Orange Peach Mango tonic is that it’s “Cultured Hydration.” That’s because it’s supposed to quench thirst and it contains live cultures.
I’ve had dairy kefir before, which has that thick yogurt bite to it. Water kefir is very different. It’s a dairy-free fermented beverage crafted from microorganisms that clump on prickly pear cactus pads. Known as “kefir crystals,” these little guys munch on sugar in water and turn into this bubbly, probiotic-rich drink. GT’s attributes water kefir’s origins to the deserts of Mexico circa the 1800s.
Their Orange Peach Mango Agua de Kefir is a replenishing pre-or-post-workout drink that’s really good for my gut health – and that’s backed by new research. This healthy drink is naturally packed with a decent amount of electrolytes, including sodium, magnesium, and potassium, which helped me feel restored after my run (and we all know I sweat a lot). Since the microorganisms eat most of the sugar in the bottle, Agua de Kefir is subtly sweet, and I didn’t feel the crash I usually get from Gatorade.
It might just be a placebo effect, but I genuinely felt peppier after drinking Agua de Kefir. Part of this is probably because it tastes so good, but it also made me feel better. In fact, it did exactly what GT’s ALIVE Matcha Cream Soda drink that I recently reviewed and hated was supposed to do: it made me feel calm, clear, uplifted, and ALIVE.
GT’s Agua de Kefir Orange Peach Mango Nutrition Facts
billion organisms
Bacillus subtilis ATCC12264
A friendly bacteria that reduces gas and bloating, among other gut-health benefits.
billion organisms
Lactobacillus Bacterium
Our best friend that squats in our gut: this bacteria protects us from bad pathogens in exchange for snacks.
mg
Calcium
A key mineral depleted by heavy sweating – though 2 mg is a negligible amount.
mg
Magnesium
GT’s water kefir contains about 18% DV of this electrolyte that helps with muscle recovery and soreness.
mg
Potassium
K does a little bit of everything, including helping muscles contract properly, and there’s 10% DV here.
Ingredients
Water Kefir, Orange Juice, Mango Puree, Peach Juice, Erythritol, Stevia Leaf
GT’s Agua de Kefir Orange Peach Mango Drink is Truly Healthy Hydration
I’ve had to resort to sunshine metaphors because there’s no comparison for how light and tasty this $4 beverage is. Agua de Kefir is the most thirst-quenching drink I’ve ever had. With its short-term hydrating effects and it’s long-term gut health benefits, it’s now my go-to for uplifting refreshment after hot workouts.
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