Elations is officially described as "an innovative, delicious fruit-juice–based drink to combat joint discomfort." Basically, it's a liquid version of the nutritional supplements glucosamine, chondroitin, Vitamin C and calcium. We tasted 2 flavors, Elations Raspberry White Grape and Elations Cranberry Apple.
Elations Raspberry White Grape
The drink comes in 6 packs consisting of 8 oz. plastic bottles with the recommendation that you should drink one each day "for best results." The shape of the packaging resembles a small bottle of apple juice that you might buy at a coffee shop where breakfast juices aren't the top item on the menu.
Elations Cranberry Apple
Both flavors of the drink are red in color, like a cherry-flavored juice. You have to look carefully to tell the flavors apart, as the colors of the caps on the bottles are exactly the same (purple). The labels are the differentiator, with the Raspberry White Grape flavor showcasing a purple logo/flavor listing, while Cranberry Apple uses a pink color scheme.
Interestingly, both flavors list the exact same ingredients:
Elations Raspberry White Grape / Elations Cranberry Apple
Water and 2% or less of each of the following: apple juice concentrate, glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, CCM (calcium hydroxide, citric acid, malic acid), sucralose, born trihydroxide, Red 40, calcium disodium EDTA (to protect color), natural and artificial flavors
Each flavor sports 30 calories per 8 oz. bottle (which is considered a serving). They also feature 8 g of carbs, 1 g of which is sugars. On the nutritional supplement side of things, you'll also get 300 mg of calcium, 1500 mg of glucosamine HCl, 1200 mg of chondroitin sulfate, and 6 mg of boron.
OK, enough of the details. How does this stuff taste?
Elations Raspberry White Grape is officially described as a "delicate blend of raspberry and white summer grape flavors that is fresh, delicate and satisfying." When I opened the bottle, I was greeted by a berry/grape smell. Upon that first taste, my reaction was, "this doesn't taste like white grape at all." The flavor is amazingly artificial with a very filmy mouthfeel present throughout the drink. There isn't much flavor at the beginning of the sip, but it's the aftertaste that will get you. You can tell there's sucralose in there. It's not very good overall.
Meanwhile, Elations Cranberry Apple is noted as a "soft, aromatic blend of cranberry and apple that's unexpectedly smooth, not tart." Seriously? I didn't find much apple flavor at all, mostly just a berry sensation. And like Raspberry White Grape, there was a filmy, artificial flavor throughout the experience. Yuck.
Even if the flavor was decent, I have to question the economics of going with a liquid beverage to stock up on these supplements. I did some quick math based on the per bottle price of a bottle of Elations via their website ($31.96 for 24 bottles = $1.33 per bottle, daily serving 1 bottle) vs. purchasing a bottle of glucosamine/chondroitin from a drug store (Walgreens, $31.99 for 150 pills, daily serving 3 pills). If you breakdown the daily dosage, the pill form is about $0.63 per serving vs. Elations being about $1.33 per serving. This drink is considerably more expensive.
Overall, we're not a fan either of the flavors of Elations. On top of that, the nutritional benefit comes at an inflated price vs. other available means. However, if you are looking for a liquid take on your joint supplements, then it may be something that fits your needs. Just not ours.
I agree – and I don't think I could stomach a bottle a day anyway. The filmy almost plastic taste was most unpleasant!
But how did your joints feel?
Yes, how did your joints feel? That's the purpose…not the taste. The taste comes second to the actual benefits. Liquids and most important Elations, only takes six days to start feeling the benefits – to me this is worth the cost. For someone with sever joint pain I'd rather drink my supplements as opposed to taking 6 large horse pills a day.
I am thrilled with this product. The cran apple tastes the best. I mix it with half Poland Springs water…only because it is a little too sweet. It is not filmy and doesn't leave an aftertaste at all. I have been dx with three bulging discs…this has called sciatic pain & pain down the back of my legs. I have been drinking Elations for two weeks. I have been in pain for ten weeks prior to this. I am OFF of my Aleve pain med totally. I am a nurse and have to be on my feet for 8 hr shifts. I have been wearing a Dale binder at work…now I am only wearing it for preventive measures. I was terribly afraid I would be permanently diabled…NOT SO NOW. Love this product & would pay twice the money for it. For a little over $1.00 a day, I am nearly pain free! Thank God for this product!!
I tried these a year ago and I bought one pack of each flavor – they were horrible, way too sweet and artificial testing. I didn't finish either pack despite the fact how much I had paid for them.
My grandmother tried this product for a while. She thought the taste was decent, but there were no results as far as less joint pain, so she quit after a month or two.
Seems like a good idea to cut down on your pill intake, but if the drink doesn't work for you, no point in spending the extra money.
This stuff tastes like crap but my joints are better.
Tastes like rubbing alcohol but I think it works.
I have only tried Elations for 4 days and already feel pain relief in my knees. I am on a limited income and have been informed there is an over the counter pill which is cheaper, yet has the same effect. Is this correct?
Ask the above people if they had taken glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, CCM, before they tried Elations?
If their answer is no, the reason they found relief in drinking Elations, is that the drink contains the same ingredients as listed above (glucosamine hydrochloride, chondroitin sulfate, CCM) but at a lower price. Also sounds like the pills taste better!
Filmy and plastic flavored is an understatement. I mix mine with water to avoid going into sugar shock but my knees are so much better now. How about a different flavor than apple or cranberry.
Nowhere in the review does it mention that Elations is one of the few glucosamine chondroiten products that does NOT CONTAIN SHELLFISH. For those of us who are allergic or, in my case, vegetarian, Elations is a needed product. It made a difference for me. Yes, it's expensive, and yes the taste is not anything to write home about (bit it's palatable), but I feel so much better it's worth it. AND there's no shellfish. Yay! I also agree with those who commented before me re. the review is all about taste and not much about how the product works. It works great for me!
This product is fantastic. I have multiple joint issues, including lots of arthritis of the spinal cord due to scoliosis, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis (all congenital but worsening with age). When I get out of bed in the morning, my hips and back are killing me. But with this stuff, it is miraculous. No pain. Just minor aches that feel nothing at all like my usual stiffness.
I can't take the horse pills, so this has been a godsend. Make sure it is cold or drink on the rocks. I highly recommend.
I'm disappointed that I didn't read the ingredients list when I bought it, because I stopped all artificial sweeteners a couple years ago due to panic/anxiety attacks (yes, that helped me eliminate them completely!), and would not have bought it had I known it had toxic artificial crap in it. One tast of it and I totally knew and poured it down the sink… For something that is supposed to be "healthy", that's a real joke. I would buy it if they have a real sugar version (not sure if they do?) but until then I'll try the pills!
To everyone who was surprised by the taste, did you really think it would taste like real juice? The label clearly says that it only has '30 calories'. That should be a major flag that it is loaded with artificial sweeteners.
I don't think the drink has a filmy taste or bad taste at all. If you drink it expecting it to taste exactly like real juice then you will surely be let down. If you drink it knowing that it's full of supplements and and art. sweeteners then you won't be surprised.
In regards to joint comfort I must say that I definitely notice a major difference. My knees were sore and achy all the time. I've been drinking Elations for 3 1/2 weeks now and my knees have increasingly felt better and better (especially after doing strenuous activities like bowling or exercising on an elliptical machine).
Pricewise, if you get Elations from a warehouse club you can get them even cheaper. I went to Sam's Club and got 18 bottles for $17.80. That's roughly 99 cents per bottle. Most of the Glucosamine/Chondroitin supplement pills that I see in stores would run me $40/month. Elations is clearly the cheaper choice.
I am very surprised the drink actually works.I noticed a difference the 4th day of the drink. I had an injury in my left knee. Now I can continue my weight lifting. The taste is not that bad either it's no worse than broccoli.
Hi, I found I my knees are feeling much better after only two weeks on Elations….I agree about the taste…how about Orange or Tangerine flavors
Thanks,
Andie
All of those plastic bottles in landfills and that artificial coloring.
I take Elations every day. My knees were so bad I could barely walk. Nearly all the pain is gone. I finally gave it to my 30 year old son and he says it works too. Drink over horse pill any day! The taste is a bit sweet but I just chug it! It is cheaper if you go to BJ's or Sam's.
I am 45 year-old female. I recently started a very intense workout program called Insanity. I had been running a little and sporadically working out prior to starting Insanity. This workout is extremely difficult and I found my knees and entire body hurting worse than I had ever hurt before. During week 3 of my workout, I jokingly bought some Elations while grocery shopping with my husband. I am not a person to take medication, and rarely even take Tylenol or Advil. I was really amazed and surprised by how much better I felt within hours of drinking my first bottle. It doesn't taste great. Personally I prefer the Raspberry White Grape flavor. Thanks to Elations I am able to continue w/ my ridiculously hard workout program and have lost over 20lbs. For me the price is not an issue as I want a product that works quickly. I'm not sure I would have been able to continue w/ this particular workout program due to my joint pain without Elations! Thank you for a great product!
Pat, throw them in the recycling bin!! I just bought Elations for the first time today, so I will be back to let you all know of my experience.
I have been taking Elations for 6 days and already feel tons better!
I dont care how bad the taste… I feel better and thats what matters.
I've been working in concrete for 15 yrs now and I feel back pain and joint pain. The worst pain is in my arms. This drink is helping me alot! I will continue to drink it.
I bought the packets and mix it in my own bottles of water. I use half a packet per 16oz bottle, along with half a packet of some other apple/cran drink mix. Spreads the cost out and helps make the artificial tastes more palatable. Have not been at it long enough to notice a difference, but this has been more of a proactive effort for me rather than reactive. I'll finish my second box of packets and then evaluate.
I will try it to see if it helps my joints.
The taste is fine and it is supposed and should be absorbed by the body quicker than pills.
I will report back.
I am in my 50's and was very active all my life. With arthritis in both knees, I have been in a lot of pain and found it hard to get up out of a chair or even walk far enough to do grocery shopping any more. A friend told me about Elations and said that he noticed a difference after 3 days of drinking it. I gave it a try and could tell a difference the very next morning. I have been drinking it for exactly 2 weeks now and my body feels so much better and much stronger as well. I like the taste of it and feel like I am getting my life back again. Thank you so much, Elations!
I am 42 and had bad pains in my right leg mostly at night…it would literally wake me out of sleep, tried Elations, on my 4th bottle I noticed the pain was not all that bad any more. I'm on my 6th bottle and I can sleep all through the night now. It's a good product, but difficult to get where I am…..yall keep forgetting….its medicine, how do you expect it to taste? Only thing I don't like is the artifical sweetener, at least its not aspatame…but….
I do not mind the taste and I do believe I am benefiting from the product. I have switched to the powder packets and find it easier not to have to carry all the extra bottles.
I am wondering if it could be made without using the red dye.
I don't think the color adds anything so at least decrease the amount for pink tinged products. I have not tried the cherry flavor as of yet but I am thinking that it will be as red. I could start glowing at any moment.
I do feel better.
I have been using Elations for 7 days and today I realized that my knees were not popping while I worked out like usual and when going up the stairs a work I actually hopped up the steps and my knees were not popping and creaking. I would say it is working ! As for the taste it does tastes yucky!! But I think I will keep drinking it since the benefits are amazing.
elations was recommended to my 78 year old aunt for arthritis in her knees. it's been a little over a week that she has drank one a day and her excitement is second to the relief she's experienced. she says it feels like she has a new leg….and the dull ache she's had in her back for years….well….she said she realizes it's gone. i'll just mention her excitement yesterday when she spoke of walking to her friends house a mile away……first time in 3 years that she's been able to do that.
We use the mixed packet with water here too.it does work but we do 8 oz with water.16 oz dilutes the benefits of it.someone here had middle finger to palm for years,they could not straighten it out.after five days of elations one morning they woke up with their digits normal so guess it works for some others not know all to well about plastic and landfills an there is no sugar added just tastes like it.Not that bad tasting either but is pricy either way box of 7 or six pack same price.Sams does not carry the boxes but Wal-mart does,go figure.
I had knee surgery Nov. '09. I've had the same knee aspirated three times since. My doc said draining my knee every two or three months he could abide. Once a month and and we need to do something else. (knee replacement) I was counting the days 'til two months had passed so I could go back for another draining. My knee would start swelling again soon after treatment. My wife introduced me to Elations during that time. I thought "What the hey, I'll try it". Within a week, my knee(s) felt so much better I couldn't believe it! Re the taste and plastic bottles, luckily (?) radiation therapy for tonsillar cancer has left me unable to taste anything since 2005 and I recycle the empty bottles.
I love Elations. It works great to help my stiffness in my hip. But giant has discontinued it so I hope they are not taking it off the market. It works very well for me. Alittle trick I learned in drinking it though, be sure its cold, drink quickly and with a straw and you wont mind the taste. The raspberry white grape is better then the cran-apple.
I tieid it on a whim. It worked for me!! I like it primarily because I hate taking pills. You can also mix it with other beverages if you are thrilled with the taste or the feel of it. It mixes well with drinks like 7 up and Sprite. The main thing, for me at least, is that it seems to work!
I "tried" it on a whim. Sorry about the mis-type!
I have been drinking Elations for about a week and a half. I don't mind the flavor and I too, recycle the bottles. The most important thing to me is that it's working. I tried the pills for about two years and didn't notice any difference. After 3 days on this I was feeling better and able to play with my granddaughter on the floor. I am still having some trouble w/my left knee, but my right knee and back are showing a marked improvement. So glad my doctor recommended it. I've even given it (1/2 a bottle per day) to my son's dog who was barely able to walk some days. He's now playing outside with my grandson, running and even jumping.
My wife has bad knees. She's been taking the Dr Powers Joint Support + Vitamin B12 for 45 days. She said that she could tell a difference after about three weeks, the pain seemed to be less. The tablets are easy for her to swallow and she has trouble swallowing a number of pills.
I consider this stuff liquid Lourdes. I was practically unable to walk (at 45!) and my Doc recommended Osteo Biflex. I took a whole bottle of the stuff (daily, not all at once!) and felt NO RELIEF. On a whim, like some of the other posters, I bought it at Walmart one day, one of each flavor. While I can hardly stomach the Cranberry flavor (mixed it with orange or apple juice), the White Grape is palatable to me, and IT WORKS. It is now a little over a month later, and I can walk around the supermarket without needing a ride on the little scooters. This drink has given me my life back. A++
For anyone with an Ollies store around, I picked up packets yesterday for 1.99!
I just bought the Cranberry Apple packets, I think it tastes pretty decent if I add a little more water than eight ounces. From what I am reading it will really make my knees feel better, nice. I don't do pills.
Been drinking Elations for about a month now. I tried the 8 oz bottles, but those tasted horrible! I noticed there were the packets for putting into a bottle of water. I started buying those, and they definitely taste better with more water added.
Being Diabetic (Type 1, 23 years old); I have a lot of joint pain… especially in my hips/wrists. But these don't have a lot of sugar/carbs in them, and after two weeks on the product. It pretty much alleviated all the pain I had in both areas. I was overjoyed.
If you're going to buy this product, buy it in the packets.
I haven't tried it yet but my aunt who recommended it has tried the pills with no effect. Elation has made a world of difference to her.
IT WORKS, IT WORKS, IT WORKS. Extreme bone to bone pain, could hardly get out of my automobile. Seems sitting position causes my hip bones to rub against each other. I use a riding mower for hours at a time, and when I am finally finished it takes me a minute to let my left side dangle then I can limpily walk a few steps and finally everything starts working again. ONE BOTTLE took the pain away for three days. I have been taking Kirklands, Costco's brand of horse pills for months very little results. In fact I tried to double and triple the dose, with very little even minimal results other than I became physically sick for two days on the shellfish, dizzy, nauseated. I Tried a different brand from the healthfood store, very minimal results. WHO CARES WHAT IT TASTES LIKE IT WORKS….
quisiera saber si una persona con prediabetes puede tomar el elations?.Puesto que ha veces al acminar siento que la union de la cadera con el femur truena. Espero respuesta. Gracias por su atencion
Ok , I just drank my first bottle ! I have joint pain every where and a leg that was broken in 57 places ! I have a rebuilt hip and one screw even holds my pelvis to my tail bone (looks cool on xray)!! I got run over on my motor cycle by a drunk driver in his 3/4 ton ford pu on his way to get more beer. I have avoided pain med. and now the knee says do something or else ! So I am reading all this Positive input and trusting you to tell it like it is. I will come back in 30 days and tell of my improvements and thank you one and all!!!
Has anyone had stomach upset using it?
The Benefit of this product over the pills is that the pills take almost 2 months of continuous dosage to absorb into your system and elations takes 6 days. the more you drink it the more you feel better and i have played football my whole life. i have referred about 10 people and they are all amazed after a week of usage
Regarding firehorse's posting June 28, I think the artificial sweetener
may cause the stomach upset, as I too have had this. I am going to continue and see if it settles down. If not, I will get the unflavored/sweetened powder freely available.
I started taking pills that contained chondroitin and glucosamine but they did not seem to be doing me very good. I started taking Elations and with in 6 days, I was out of pain. I tried a different type called Joint Juice and after taking it for 10 days, my pain was back. i switched back to Elations and after 3 days my pain was gone again. i prefer the rasberry white grape.
I have been having arthritis problems in both hands, wrists, and my right hip for several years. Last year the pain became unbearable, and my doctor prescribed Celebrex. I was also taking glucosamine/chondroitin in a pill form. Neither offered me much relief. I found a review for Elations and decided to give it a try. To my amazement, the hip felt much better after only four days! I have been taking this for about 3 months now. The cold weather is here, and my hands are pain free. I realized today that I no longer have the morning stiffness and pain I suffered every morning during cold weather. Elations is truly a miracle for me! I was skeptical about it, but it really works. I can't recommend it enough to anyone who is suffering joint pain.
I love the flavor- can be a tad bit sweet – but it works where even the equivalent of pills did not. This day and age why would anyone even comment on the landfills…. don't you recycle everything?