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Hemp-Based Drinks from Laguna Blends, Inc. (CSE: LAG) (OTC: LAGBF) (LB6A.F) are Turning Tastes

“Things sweet to taste prove in digestion sour,” the Bard of Avon reminds us, an observation that is confirmed by examining the history of carbonated beverages. Our love affair with fizzy drinks is souring. The American consumer is no longer as enamored of soda as in the heady days when he or she was told ‘Things Go Better with Coke’.

The soft drink market has turned soft. Quenching thirst (hydration in modern jargon) is no longer enough. Now consumers are asking for functional hydration that adds electrolytes and carbohydrates to their beverages, and companies like Laguna Blends (CSE: LAG) (OTC: LAGBF) (LB6A.F) are answering. For athletes, jocks, play-ers, amateurs, pros and average Joes, Laguna Blends has brought two healthful hemp-based beverages to mar-ket. With its Caffe Protein Coffee and Pro369, Laguna Blends is set to taste success in the fast growing func-tional beverages market.

Functional beverages are drinks that not only keep our bodies hydrated but provide some added nutritional ben-efit. Under this category fall a variety of fortified drinks that address health and nutritional issues across all age groups. Ingredients added to fortify drinks include herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fruit and vegetables. The market is segmented into energy drinks, sports drinks, nutraceutical drinks, dairy-based beverages, juices, and enhanced water. A nutraceutical is a food or drink that promotes health or has medicinal benefits. The three largest segments are, in order from largest down, energy drinks, sports drinks and nutraceutical drinks.

According to a white paper (http://nnw.fm/M9Tmu) from industry analysts First Beverage Group, smaller “bet-ter-for-you” brands like Caffe Protein Coffee and Pro369 have billions of dollars of market share in play. ‘Small brands… are expected to grow into… a $95 billion market by 2020’. In the white paper, released last year, First Beverage Group identifies three factors it believes will drive growth in the non-alcoholic beverage market.

The first is ‘an increased focus on “health and wellness” (that) has already shaped general consumption habits across food and beverage categories’. The second determinant is the rise of the “smart consumer” – the in-formed consumer who demands increased transparency, simplicity in ingredients, and truth in labeling. Thirdly, it cites the behavior of Millennials as an important characteristic, noting that this group is ‘the most socially and digitally connected generation in history and their consumption patterns, which demand better-for-you, authen-tic, hand-crafted, and local products, will continue to drive a significant shift not only in consumption patterns, but also in the way brands market themselves…’.

Laguna Blends is certainly ready for the challenge. The company markets products based on the nutritional health benefits derived from hemp. Its flagship product is Caffe Protein Coffee, which is loaded in proteins: both whey and hemp. Another product is Pro369, which combines HempOmega®, hemp protein and ginseng, and comes in four delicious flavors: Vanilla Caramel, Tropical Fruit, Mixed Berry and Chocolate Banana.

Research (http://nnw.fm/d57dO) has uncovered the nutritional benefits of hemp. Hempseed, typically, contains over 30 percent oil and about 25 percent protein, with considerable amounts of dietary fiber, vitamins and min-erals. The hempseed oil contains over 80 percent in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and is an exceptionally rich source of the two essential fatty acids (EFAs), linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid. These EFAs are used, by the body, to build more complex fats called omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which have been shown to promote cardiovascular health.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com