Here. Have some Cinagro EneryPlus, a "delicious healthy whole body tonic" containing things that energize us, revitalize us and improve circulation to our brains, thus helping our concentration and alertness.

Journey Root Beer and Ginseng gives us balance. Thai Lemongrass drink ("moderately herbal and globally refreshing") enhances our immune systems. Penvian Passion Flower, with "gentle levels of passion flower and damiana, " promotes relaxation and elevates our mood.

Or so they say on the labels. These drinks are known as enhanced beverages. To make them, manufacturers start with standard stuff -- tea, water, various juices -- and add healthy-sounding things like ginseng, hibiscus, Chamomile, rosehips, elderflower, bee pollen, aloe vera, ginko, ginger and sassafras.

Echinacea, an extract of purple coneflower, is said to help colds and flu. Spirulina, a blue-green fresh- water algae, is believed to promote longer life. Guarana is reputed to increase mental alertness and is high in caffeine.

These "nutraceuticals" -- juice blends and tea drinks laced with vitamins, medicinal plants' or herbal extracts -- are part of a larger trend toward enhanced foods, things like calcium-enriched orange juice and vitamin laced cereals.

And they sound so good. Who wouldn't want more energy, more passion, more immunity? Whose mood couldn't use some enhancement?

Unproven claims

Keep a few things in mind:

Some of the claims made for these beverages are sketchy, at best. If you want to believe a 7.7 ounce can of Energy Plus can energize you, revitalize you, increase your endurance and improve your concentration and alertness, well, fine. It's not out of the realm of possibility. But here's a bulletin: Tap water can do the same things.

If you're walking around dehydrated without realizing it (and many people are), a big glass of water can end your headache and provide a burst of energy. Now think about what getting rid of a headache and suddenly feeling more energetic can do for your mood. There you go: tap water as a mood enhancer.

Tap water is a little cheaper, too. A six-pack of Thai Lemongrass was on sale for $3.99 recently at an Ocean City health-food store. Normally it's more than $5. Walk into a Wawa and buy a fancy herbal tea like Ariizona and you'll pay something like $1.39 a bottle, although it is a hefty 20 ounces. That's not a fortune, but it's not inexpensive.

If you're wondering how much of your favorite herb you're getting per serving, good luck. Many of these fancy, New Age containers fail to list the amounts, which brings up a question. Suppose you want to drink something with antioxidants, which h have been legitimately linked to cancer prevention. Wouldn't you want to know how much you're getting? Maybe -- and this is a real possibility -- some of these, drinks contain so little of your favorite antioxidant that they're next to useless.

"Hidden" ingredients

In addition, many of these beverages contain as many calories as a can of Classic Coke, as well as caffeine and sodium.

Get the picture? These drinks may be arguably healthier than soda, but at least with soda you know where you stand. Whether these fancy drinks deliver what they promise is an open question.

Bill Wanner, who was working the counter recently at Prasad Natural Foods in Ocean City, said he believes that if you want to get herbs or vitamins or something good in your system, it's probably better to take it in capsules. That way you control how much you're getting. The problem with some of the drinks, he said, is that they contain too little of their so-called health ingredients to do any good.

"Sometimes I think they kind of wave the ginseng over the top of the bottle when it passes by," Wanner said of one drink.

And don't count on great taste. Some are fine. Others are more like medicine. "Eeeeeiew!" commented one taste-tester. "Thumbs down."

Even Wanner, who sells the stuff, isn't impressed. "Between you and me, some of it is not so good," he said.