So while putting certain foods into our body for health benefits is as old as Bruce Forsyth, a relatively new phenomenon has started to pop up. Although water is thought to be the elixir o0f life and the only sure fire way to radiant skin, feeling energised and verging on incontinence all day, health drinks with all sorts of goodies in them have started to crop up with all different health benefits. Here is a little run down for you on some of the most common ones.

Cranberry Juice

Cranberry juice has long been celebrated not only for its health benefits, but for the fact it is a step down in the embarrassing chemist trip scale from having to go and get yourself some canesten duo. Personally, I’m not really down with the taste and think it makes your mouth as dry as a Nuns chuff, but for all of you who do enjoy it, there are massive health benefits to drinking cranberry juice.

Cranberry juice is rich in anti-oxidants and vitamin C. Not only is it amazing good for you, it only has around 40 to 50 calories a cup, so can easily fit around whatever fad ‘only eat broccoli and lemons for seven weeks’ diet you are currently trying. Not only is cranberry good for those suffering from uncomfortable UTI’s, but it can also prevent them. This is because it contains chemicals that have anti-clinging properties, so they stop the bacteria from clinging to the walls of the bladder.

Cranberry juice also has polyphenolic compounds, which have been proven to prevent tumours.  The Salicylic acid in cranberry juice also assists in the prevention of tumours, as well as reducing swelling and preventing blood clots.

The anti-oxidants present in the flavonoids can promote good cardiovascular health, and there are also loads of other health benefits including strengthening bones and teeth and preventing colds. Guess what girls? The good news doesn’t stop there. It’s also anti-ageing.

 Aloe Vera Drinks

This one obviously sounds the weirdest. What Aloe Vera? ALOE VERA? That you put on your face? In a DRINK? Yes. Aloe Vera that is present in nearly every beauty product from the poundshop or Savers is now available in liquid form for your hydration needs. It sounds disgusting doesn’t it?

There is a little element of mingingness to it. The bits of Aloe Vera float around in the drink like carrier bags do in the sea down Southend. So even if you do manage to get a decent flavour like Strawberry or Mango, you get a delightful slimy throat full of Aloe Vera. I’m sure NONE of us ladies know what that feels like.

So anyway, is all the hassle worth it for your health?

The health benefits of drinking Aloe Vera are said to be massive. Aloe Vera is said to be a natural anti-inflammatory, so when you go from rubbing it on your skin to drinking it you can help a load of internal problems like Crohns and IBS. I’ll be honest I have no idea of the science behind it, but it helps my IBS massively.

There’s also the fact that it can help with skin problems (that’s another tick as I suffer from eczema – if anyone ever wants the full list of things wrong with me bring an A1 piece of paper round and I’ll write them down). Apparently, again this is due to the anti-inflammatory effect Aloe Vera has on the body.

It is also absolutely jam PACKED with vitamins. B, C and E as well as folic acid. Not only can you fight off colds but you can have a mega healthy immune system as well. It is also said to aid digestion, which is another reason it is said to help IBS and Crohns.

A lot of people are now piping up and saying nothing has been scientifically proven to help now it has become popular. My view is (and this is the same with all the old health crap they try and sell you), try it, and if it makes you feel good keep drinking it. Lets face it, an Aloe Vera plant is not going to HURT you is it? Well, unless you walk past one and poke yourself in the eye with one of the spikes, in which case you’ll probably be doing a Gabriele for the rest of your life, but drinking it really won’t cause you harm.

Coconut Water

This is another one that has popped up recently and been promoted more than Kim and Kanye. Again, if you don’t like bits then this one is not for you. Floating bits of coconut will inevitably stick in your teeth leaving you sat on the bus with a toothpick looking like a Neanderthal that’s just killed and eaten a chicken raw. It tastes, shockingly, of coconut.

It is cholesterol free, so you can basically drink it until the cows come home. Although I wouldn’t, because if the cows come home they will be pretty PO you are drinking coconut water and not milk. It also contains the potassium of FOUR bananas. Yes FOUR. People of the world rejoice, you can now throw away your boring daily banana you eat ‘just because it’s good for you’ and have some coconut water instead. Good times, I think Bananas are so boring, unless they are inflatable and you climbed behind the bar of Jumpin Jaks to retrieve it.

It also has electrolytes in it, which are big in the sports drink market. These help to replace all the nutrients you sweat out during the natural course of the day, so if you see someone at the gym drinking coconut water instead of regular water, it’s a good guess they are much more hydrated than you.