American sports drink Gatorade is hugely popular worldwide and is easily recognized for its numerous flavors, bright colors, and orange lids. It is often seen on soccer and football fields by athletes of all ages. It promises instant rehydration and is loaded with electrolytes and nutrients that help you stay energetic. However, Gatorade is banned in many parts of Europe.

Several ingredients, including certain dyes like Yellow 5 and 6, have resulted in the drink being removed from shelves in several European countries.

According to experts, another reason Gatorade has disappeared from European Union shelves has been the presence of an ingredient known as brominated vegetable oil (BVO), which is added to drinks to stop ingredients from separating. However, BVO is completely prohibited in EuroHowever, BVO was also eventually banned by the US Food and Drug Administration, and Gatorade no longer contains the ingredient.

Experts say despite the removal of BVO, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 dyes, which require a warning label in all EU countries and are outright banned for consumption by infants and children, Gatorade has been outlawed. However, a few dye-free or naturally coloured versions of Gatorade are available in Europe, as well as other alternatives, which include Powerade, Vitaminwater, and Lucozade, a popular UK brand.

How does BVO impact your health?

According to experts, most of its composition is derived from vegetable oils like soybean or corn oil, which are brominated to create a denser oil that mixes well with water-based solutions.

The thyroid gland influences almost all of the metabolic processes in the human body through the hormones it produces. Excessive BVO accumulation in the body could also result in “bromine toxicity, which causes damage to the central nervous system, headaches, nausea, memory loss, and loss of coordination,” says the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.