In this blog, I’m going to review five popular food products in the Indian market, which have been intensively marketed.

I feel that most people are unaware that these food products are right for them or not. So this is my humble attempt to help you with that.

I want to clarify that this article has not been sponsored by any of these five brands or their competitors. These are 100% my honest reviews.

So without any further delay, let’s get started.

Let us begin with the product no. 5 on the list which is

Nutralite

We Indians are fond of eating butter. We enjoy it with parathas, toast, and a variety of other dishes. However, many people these days are avoiding butter and switching to Nutralite.

Nutralite is a fat spread provided as a healthier and delicious alternative to butter. Really? Let us find out.

Comparing the nutritional comparison of Amul Butter with Nutralite surely looks better as it is low in saturated fats and cholesterol.

But when we compare their ingredients, the story changes altogether. 

Butter is solely extracted from milk, whereas Nutralite is made from refined vegetable oils, which are definitely not a good source of fats.

Apart from this, Nutralite has emulsifiers, preservatives, acidity regulators, starch, Sequestering agents, colors, and flavors. It is not very strange to know that Nutralite has so many chemicals added to it.

This is because the refined oils are liquid at room temperature, and a lot of chemical processing, including hydrogenation, needs to be done to make them solid.

Nutralite is basically Margarine made to look like butter. While butter, when consumed in moderation, does offer certain health benefits, but Margarine is processed food and hardly has any health benefits.

Of course, Nutralite has specific added vitamins to make it look healthier. Still, it is not more than a marketing strategy, and Nutralite is cheaper than Amul Butter because it has cheap ingredients.

So if you ask me on any given day, I will choose butter over Nutralite.

Number 4 on the list is

Red Bull

Red bull is one of the most popular energy drinks not only in India but throughout the world. Over six billion cans are sold across 170 countries in just one year.

But why the craze? Is it really worth it? Let’s see.

First of all, it is sold as an energy drink because it has Caffeine in it. 250 gm of Red bull can have 75 mg of caffeine, which is almost equal to that in one coffee cup.

It also has a small amount of Taurine, which is non-essential amino acids. Here something you need to know, just this 250 ml of Redbull can give you 28 gms of sugar.

28gms of sugar in one serving is so high that our body would puke it out.

This is why Redbull is loaded with Carbon Dioxide and artificial chemicals to neutralize it.

The very high doses of sugar, caffeine, and other chemicals, make Redbull a very addictive drink.

Overdose of Redbull is dangerous and causes high blood pressure and heart palpitations.

Considering its addictive nature and harmful stimulants, it was at the time is banned in many countries.

“Red bull gives you wings” this is what the company says, yes it might give you wings for a while, but it takes a lot from you.

In my opinion, it is among the worst beverages ever made. Definitely not for students as the company suggests.

And if you want an instant energy kit, you can have a cup of black coffee at home, which will hardly cost you rupees 3. You need not waste 100 rupees on Redbull.

Number 3 is

Yakult

Probiotics are getting popular, and so is Yakult. Yakult has been marketed as a drink that loves your intestines.

The company promises that Yakult is a probiotic drink whose daily consumption improves the digestive system and helps build immunity.

Probiotics are good bacteria that keep your digestive system healthy by controlling the growth of harmful bacteria, and just one small 65 ml of Yakult contains 6.5 billion probiotic bacteria.

Sounds good! Isn’t it? Let’s go through its ingredients and the information to know better.

Yakult is made from sugar, glucose, skimmed milk powder, natural flavor, water, and LCS [the probiotic bacteria]. 

The ingredients are okay, but here’s the problem.

Just one small 65 ml bottle of Yakult will give you 11 gms of sugar, which is almost 3tsp of sugar.

Of course, sugar helps good bacteria to live longer but 17 gms of sugar per 100 ml of Yakult that’s even higher than that in Coke.

Moreover, there will be a chance of developing an allergic reaction to the new bacteria being added to your body.

I’m not against Yakult. Neither I am for it. You can consume it sometimes, but if you drink it as a daily probiotic supplement is not more than a marketing gimmick.

Undoubtedly, probiotics are essential for gut health, but we Indians have always taken them through food. Curd is one of the best sources of probiotics.

Having 200 gms of curd mixed with 1 tsp of jaggery powder empty stomach is the best probiotic meal you can ever have.

Even other fermented food items like Idli, Dosa, and Pickles are good sources of probiotics.

At no. 2 is

Horlicks Protein Plus

Protein plus by Horlicks has recently entered the Indian market and is getting very popular.

Let us compare it with its arch-rival Protinex. Comparing the ingredients Horlicks protein plus is a blend of 3 different types of proteins, namely Whey concentrate, Soy isolate, and Casein.

Whereas Protinex original is made from just peanut protein. Protinex also has Malt extract and Maldotextrin, which is thankfully not present in Horlicks Protein Plus.

So definitely Horlicks protein plus has a better quality of proteins and other ingredients.

Per 100 gms, Horlicks protein plus has 23 gms of sugar, whereas Protinex has 31 gm of sugar. The amount of vitamins and minerals is similar in both.

Comparing their prices 400gms of Protinex will cost you almost 530 rupees, whereas the same quantity of protein plus by Horlicks will cost you Rs. 495.

Clearly, Horlicks protein plus is a better choice. Yes, it cannot be equal to a whey protein supplement, but if you are low on a budget, it can really help you gain muscle if you use it smartly.

The no.1 product on the list is

Patanjali’s Aloe Vera Juice.

We all know the numerous health benefits that Aloe vera juice offers. This is the reason that it is among the most selling products by Patanjali Ayurveda.

But are they really selling it in its pure form?

If you look at the back of the label, it says each 10ml contains 9.4 ml of pure aloe vera juice. The rest 0.53 ml includes excipients and preservatives.

Surely their quantity is quite less than the pure aloe vera juice. However, one excipient that catches my eye is Xantham gum. It is a food additive that is used as a thickener and a stabilizer.

The regular consumption of Xantham gum can cause digestive issues. This means that xantham gum, which was added only for aesthetic purposes, hinders the primary benefit of aloe juice, which is good for digestion.

Obviously, it is best if you can get the real aloe vera juice straight from the source. I know it is not practically possible for most of us, so I have linked down a healthier aloe vera juice below that is free from these additives.

Healthy Aloe Vera Juice: Pure Aloe Vera Juice {Not an Affiliate link}

So these were those five products which I felt needed your attention.

CONCLUSION

S.No	Products I’ve Discussed Above	Recommended or Not	Why/Why Not?	Alternatives
1.	Patanjali’s Aloe vera Juice	Not	Because of Xantham gum	Kapiva Natural Aloe Vera Juice
2.	Horlicks Protein Plus	Yes	Budget-friendly
3.	Yakult	Not	A lot of Sugar	Curd
4.	Red Bull	Not	Costly, Loaded with Sugar & artificial chemicals	Coffee
5.	Nutralite	Not	Emulsifiers, Preservatives, Acidity Regulators, Starch, Sequestering agents & Colors	Butter

I want to confirm again that whatever I’ve written here is my honest personal opinion.

So, friends, that’s all for this article. I hope you find it to be helpful. If yes, then please share this with anyone who you might think will need to read this.

If you have any suggestions or any questions, feel free to ask in the comment box below.