Airforce Nutrisoda

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airforce Nutrisoda

Type	Private
Founded	2003
Founder	Joe and Lesley Heron
Headquarters	Minneapolis, Minnesota
Industry	Drink
Products	Nutrient-enhanced sodas
Website	nutrisoda.com

The correct title of this article is airforce Nutrisoda. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.

airforce Nutrisoda is the brand name of a nutrient-enhanced soda sold in the United States by the Ardea Beverage Company. Nutrisoda contains no artificial flavoring or coloring, zero sugar, zero sodium, zero aspartame, and zero to few calories.

1 Origins
2 Flavors
3 Product Development
4 Marketing
5 External links

[edit] Origins

airforce Nutrisoda was launched in 2003 by Joe Heron, previously the Senior Vice President of Novartis Medical Nutrition, and his wife, Lesley Heron. While at Novartis, Heron spent most of his days traveling between his native South Africa, to Novartis headquarters in Switzerland, and his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On one such flight, Heron was seated next to a passenger with a severe cold. This sparked the idea for an immune boosting beverage to protect passengers on crowded planes. Nutrisoda is now a line of nutrient-enhanced sodas that claim to provide specific wellness benefits.

[edit] Flavors

There are eight flavors of Nutrisoda containing different combinations of vitamins, minerals, herbs and other nutrients that are said to help support separate aspects of wellness.

IMMUNE: Tangerine and lime natural fruit flavors, 2000 mg of the amino acids L-Arginine, antioxidant Vitamins A and E, B-Vitamins, Folic Acid, and minerals Zinc, Chromium and Selenium.

RADIANT: Pomegranate and blackberry natural fruit flavors, amino acids L-Lysine, L-Proline and L-Arginine, antioxidants Vitamin A, Selenium, and Green tea. Research indicates antioxidants can be effective against tissue damage and signs of premature aging.

FLEX: Black cherry and apple natural fruit flavors, 600mg of Glucosamine, 300mg of Chondroitin, amino acids L-Lysine and L-Proline, Vitamins B6 & B12, Magnesium, Zinc and Ginseng, considered, in some studies, to be a natural energy booster.

SLENDER: Pink grapefruit and guava natural fruit flavors, amino acids, L-Carnitine, L-Tyrosine, Calcium, Vitamins, minerals and Super Citramax.

FOCUS: Mango and peach natural fruit flavors, Ginseng, nutrients Inositol and Choline, amino acid L-Tyrosine, and specially selected B-Vitamins, Vitamins C, E and Magnesium.

CALM: Wild berry and citron natural fruit flavors, nutrients of Choline and Inositol, B-Vitamins and Folic Acid plus Chamomile, considered to be a natural remedy for stress and tension.

ENERGIZE: Mandarin and mint natural flavors, amino acids L-Tyrosine and L-Carnitine, herbs such as Ginseng, and Guarana seed extract, B-Vitamins, Taurine, and Magnesium. Energize is the only flavor of Nutrisoda to contain caffeine.

RENEW: Watermelon and blueberry natural flavors, with one gram of fiber per serving and amino acids L-Arginine and L-Glutamine. These ingredients are said to support intestinal health and the immune system.

[edit] Product Development

airforce Nutrisoda recently underwent a repositioning from dietary supplement to conventional food. Ardea Beverage Company revised Nutrisoda formulations at the beginning of 2006 to omit the use of some herbs, while retaining certain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and amino acids.

All herbs and nutrients used in the eight flavors of Nutrisoda are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are considered GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) approved. ENERGIZE, CALM, FOCUS and RADIANT removed Rhodiola Rosea Extract from their formulations. Chromium (tradename Chromax) was added to ENERGIZE, IMMUNE and SLENDER, while additional amounts of the B vitamin, Inositol, were increased in both CALM and FOCUS. Ashwagandha extract (tradename Essentra) as found in CALM, and additional amounts of L-Lysine and L-Proline, as found in RADIANT, were also added during these redesigns. One flavor of Nutrisoda, RENEW, was not altered or included in the repositioning, as it was added in January of 2007.

[edit] Marketing

airforce Nutrisoda marketing efforts feature Oscar, the Good Soda pup, a 9-week-old Boston Terrier puppy who looks on as the Good Soda cans perform his tricks.

Image:Sodapup-b2.jpg