You are on keto diet, but you’re dying to get a refreshing and sweet drink to quench your taste (and satisfy your sweet cravings)?
Yes, there are times when plain old water just won’t cut it.
We’ll let you in on a little secret.
There’s a company called Bai Brands, and they are offering low-calorie refreshing drinks, which might just be what you’re looking for.
But can you really consume sweet drinks on keto?
Keep reading…
What are Bai Drinks?
Bai is a line of delicious and refreshing non-GMO, vegan, soy-, gluten-, and BPA-free flavored water products. They are energized with coffee fruit and infused with antioxidants.
Who is the Company Behind It
Bai is a New Jersey-based beverage company that entrepreneur Ben Weiss established in 2009. The company founder discovered and was impressed with the nutritional content and benefits of the coffee fruit, so he decided to create beverages with it as the base.
The Name Bai has two meanings.
Firstly, it’s an acronym for botanical antioxidant infusions.
Secondly, it’s a Mandarin term that means pure. This simple word perfectly fits the company’s goal to produce pure and natural yet tasty and refreshing drinks.
Dedicated to fulfilling its mission, the company continuously develops advanced formulation, which led to its steady growth over the years. In 2016, the company was included in the list of America’s Most Promising Companies by Forbes.
Bai Drinks Ingredients
In line with their mission to provide their clients with natural and pure drinks, all of the ingredients they use are
- Non-GMO,
- Vegan friendly,
- And free of gluten, soy, artificial colors, artificial preservatives, and BPA.
Additionally, the drinks don’t contain carmine, carrageenan, castoreum, MSG, high-fructose corn syrup, and evaporated corn syrup. Instead, it has the following natural ingredients:
Coffee Fruit
As mentioned, the main ingredient in Bai Drinks is no other than coffee fruit. The main reason why the company uses this because it’s packed with antioxidants that can fight off free radicals and prevent premature aging. (*)
Not only that but this is also said to contain BDNF or Brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This protein strengthens existing brain cells and produces new ones, protecting you from the onset of degenerative diseases. (*)
Lastly, this extract also has chlorogenic acid, which protects our brain and cells from stress. It can help relieve stress and anxiety as it activates the GABA-A receptors when it reaches the brain. This, in turn, helps reduce stress, (*)
White Tea
This is added to Bai drinks for flavor. But more than that, it’s also a great source of antioxidants. It also provides a good amount of caffeine for that boost of energy.
Natural Flavors
This is the collective term that the company uses to refer to their secret blend of natural essences, oils, and other extracts designed to enhance the flavor of Bai products.
Bai Drinks Sweetener
However, They don’t get their sweet taste from natural flavors. The good thing is they don’t get it from sugar either.
Their distinctly bold flavors come from a combination of natural flavors and two types of natural sweeteners—erythritol and Stevia Leaf Extract. (*)
Erythritol is a fruit-based sugar alcohol. Once it enters the body, it just passes through the same way fiber does. So even though it has calories, it won’t be absorbed by the body.
On the other hand, Stevia is derived from a plant with the scientific Name of Stevia rebaudiana. Its sweetness comes from steviol glycosides that our bodies can’t metabolize. Because of this, this sweetener has 0 calories.
Bai Brands Products Lines
Bai Brands has already released 5 product lines under their belt. These are Bai 5, Bai Bubbles, Bai Supertea, Bai Cocofusion, and Bai Antioxidant Water.
Comparison Table of the Nutritional Content of all Bai Drinks
Let us take a sneak peek at the nutritional content of each Bai product line. Since there are plenty of favors in one product line and each flavor has varying nutritional content, the information we’ll share is about the most popular flavor in each product line.
This nutritional information is per serving of the different Bai product lines.
A Closer Look at Bai Drinks Line
Now that we have an overview of the nutritional profile of these drinks let’s dig deeper into each product line. In this section, we’ll share the different flavors and unique features of each product line.
Bai 5
This product line simply refers to Bai Brands’ original flavors. The line stands out as each drink gives off a tropical and exotic taste that will make you feel as if you’re on the island or beach—the perfect drinks for quenching your thirst during hot summer days.
Under this product line, you have the following flavors: Brasilia Blueberry, Panama Peach, Costa Rica Clementine, Kula Watermelon, Ipanema Pomegranate, Kupang Strawberry Kiwi, Malawi Mango, Sumatra Dragonfruit, and Zambia Bing Cherry.
Bai Bubbles
The content of this product line is similar to Bai 5 because it’s also packed with antioxidants. The only difference is this one sparkle.
The drinks under the Bai Bubbles line are designed to satisfy the cravings of people craving for the taste and sparkle of Sparkling water but still wish to keep their diet. Every sip of these low-carb drinks will surely give you that fresh and fizzy feeling you’re longing for.
For this product line, you can enjoy the following flavors: Bolivia Black Cherry, Jamaica Blood Orange, Bogota Blackberry Lime, Gimbi Pink Grapefruit, Lambari Watermelon Lime, Waikiki Coconut Lime, and Peru Pineapple.
Bai Cocofusions
Bai Cocofusions deliver the same amount of antioxidants you can get from the two product lines. But this time, it comes with a summer-y and tropical twist—coconut! The company did their research, and as it turns out, people love coconut, so they are giving people what they want through this product line.
Their Cocofusions line has the following flavors: Andes Coconut Lime, Madagascar Coconut Mango, Molokai Coconut, and Puna Coconut Pineapple.
Bai Supertea
The drinks under the Bai SuperTea line have the same nutritional profile as the other lines. Still, this one features real brewed teas, making it a great option for people who wish to get their tea fix and stay low carb at the same time.
For this line, you can enjoy four delicious flavors: Nariño Peach Tea, Tanzania Lemon Tea, Socorro Sweet Tea, and Rio Raspberry Tea.
Bai Antioxidant Water
If your main goal is to replenish lost electrolytes, the Bai Antioxidant Water is what you should drink.
Besides being infused with antioxidants, this also contains electrolytes like Potassium (from Potassium Bicarbonate) and Sodium (from Sodium Selenite).
With its unique feature, this product line is recommended for physically active people. And those who want to get the hydration need to carry on with their daily activities.
This is the only Bai drink that doesn’t come with any flavors. Because of this, it isn’t just low carb. It has 0 net carbs and calories!
The good news is this product still tastes fantastic, even if it doesn’t have any flavoring. Since the electrolytes (Potassium Bicarbonate, to be exact) adds a subtle taste to it.
Conclusion
As you may have noticed, most of the Bai product lines (except for the Antioxidant water) contain 1 gram of sugar or net carbs. Considering this, we can deem the drinks to be suitable for low-carb keto diet. Furthermore, they can even be a great keto substitute for energy drinks as they contain small amounts of caffeine. (*)
But please keep in mind that the suitability of a food item for the keto diet doesn’t solely rely on its net carbs. It would also depend on the amount of food/ drink that you consume.
Are Bai Drinks Keto-Friendly?
If you drink too many of any of bai drinks, you’ll certainly be kicked out of ketosis. So let us rephrase our answer—Bai drinks are keto when consumed in moderation.
Unfortunately, it’s easy to overconsume these drinks since they are refreshing. If you’re prone to drinking too many refreshing drinks or you’re on a strict keto diet, it’s better that you avoid these.
Or better yet, get only a bottle of Bai antioxidant water since it has zero carbs.
