A cranberry flavoured soft drink that burns around 200 calories a can? Hell yeah, sign us up! Couple of these a day and FHM will soon be on the phone offering us dollars for a High Street Honey’s shoot. But can a can of fizzy pop really help you lose weight? Here’s what the experts say…
It may resemble the can of spritzer you buy at a station when you forgot to stash gin in your luggage, but you’re more likely to find Aspire in a health food shop than the booze fridge of Tesco Metro. Because, ladies and gentlemen, this is actually a calorie burning drink – which, according to clinical trials, can burn around 209 calories a can. So, how does it work?
What Aspire say – ‘it works’
“Aspire contains a combination of the following good for you ingredients: • Guarana Extract • Green Tea Extract • L – Carnitine It is suggested that these ingredients can assist in raising the body’s metabolism, suppressing appetite, accelerating weight loss and potentially playing a vital role in the oxidisation of fat and aiding in the weight loss process.”
What the experts say – ‘it doesn’t’
British Dietetic Association spokesman Catherine Collins says: “The bottom line is, there are no foods that burn calories. No magic fix I’m afraid. As a way of losing weight, Aspire is likely a waste of time and money, and has a caffeine- related metabolic effect similar to that of a strong coffee.”
What we say – ‘good with vodka’
Cranberry with an underlying aroma of rank, this isn’t the tastiest of drinks. Having said that, it did seem to suppress our appetite (no 4pm snacks in the office, amazing) and it didn’t result in that horrible fluttery heart feeling you get from some diet products. Ironically, it would probably taste better with vodka. In fact, a few vodka and Aspires on a night out and, if it really does burn calories, you’ve earned yourself a free kebab. Bonza.
Holland & Barrett, £1.79 per can.
