Is Body Armor Ultra Processed?
Not Typically Ultra-Processed
BodyArmor sports drinks are highly processed (Level 3). They contain coconut water concentrate, cane sugar, citric acid, natural flavors, vitamins, and dipotassium phosphate. While marketed as a premium alternative to Gatorade, BodyArmor still relies on added sugar and industrial processing.
Key Findings
- •BodyArmor avoids artificial colors and artificial flavors, distinguishing it from Gatorade (Level 4), but still contains significant added sugar and industrial ingredients at Level 3
- •Coconut water concentrate is not the same as fresh coconut water — concentration and reconstitution are industrial processes
- •At 21g of sugar per 12oz, BodyArmor contains about two-thirds the sugar of Gatorade (34g per 20oz)
Why Is Body Armor Level 3?
BodyArmor differentiates itself from traditional sports drinks by using coconut water concentrate as a base and cane sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. The ingredient list also includes citric acid, natural flavors, dipotassium phosphate, magnesium oxide, calcium d-pantothenate, and various added vitamins. It avoids artificial colors and artificial flavors — a genuine distinction from Gatorade and Powerade. However, the coconut water is concentrated (removing and re-adding water is an industrial process), the sugar content remains high (21g per 12oz), and the vitamin fortification involves synthetic nutrient additions. BodyArmor Lyte uses erythritol and stevia instead of full sugar, which adds different processing considerations.
Body Armor Processing Level Distribution
How 3 body armor products break down by processing level:
Average ingredient count: 17.0 · Average nutrition score: 5.0/10
Body Armor Brand Comparison
Comparing the least to most processed body armor products in our database:
| Product | Brand | Level | Score | Ingredients |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bodyarmor, Grape Superdrink, Grape | Bodyarmor | Processing Level: 3 out of 4 - Highly Processed | 5.5 | 17 |
| Bodyarmor, Grape Superdrink, Grape | Bodyarmor | Processing Level: 3 out of 4 - Highly Processed | 5.5 | 17 |
How to Read Body Armor Labels
- 1
BodyArmor contains 21g of sugar per 12oz — less than Gatorade but still significant
- 2
"Coconut water concentrate" means the coconut water was dehydrated and reconstituted — not fresh
- 3
No artificial colors or artificial flavors is a genuine improvement over mainstream sports drinks
- 4
BodyArmor Lyte uses erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and stevia — different processing trade-offs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is BodyArmor better than Gatorade?
From a processing standpoint, BodyArmor (Level 3) uses simpler ingredients than Gatorade (Level 4). BodyArmor avoids artificial colors and artificial flavors and uses cane sugar instead of HFCS. However, both are significantly processed and contain substantial added sugar.
Is BodyArmor actually made from coconut water?
BodyArmor uses coconut water concentrate — coconut water that has been dehydrated and reconstituted with water. This is an industrial process, not fresh coconut water poured into a bottle.
Is BodyArmor Lyte less processed?
BodyArmor Lyte replaces most sugar with erythritol (a sugar alcohol) and stevia (a plant-derived sweetener). It has fewer calories but similar overall processing. It remains Level 3.