Zevia Now Available to Consumers Looking for a Refreshing and Healthier Alternative to Diet Soda

01/11/07 Seattle-based Zevia LLC is proud to announce the launch of the first all-natural, sugar free alternative to diet soda. Zevia,created by Derek and Jessica Newman and Ian Eisenberg, is a carbonated stevia supplement offered in three distinctively different flavors -- Zevia Natural Cola, Natural Orange, and Natural Twist. Zevia is available in a growing number of select stores including PCC Natural Markets, Metropolitan Market, Thriftway, Pasta & Co and online atwww.zevia.com.

"We are extremely excited about the launch of Zevia because it offers a natural choice to the millions of people consuming artificially sweetened diet sodas on a regular basis," said Derek Newman, co-founder and co-chief executive officer, Zevia. "With Zevia,you have the great flavor and refreshing experience of soda without consuming sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or anything artificial."

"My personal struggle with artificially sweetened diet soda with my otherwise healthy diet was much of the inspiration behind Zevia. With Zevia, I've kicked the diet soda habit," added Jessica Newman, co-founder and executive vice president of Zevia. "As a mother of three I'm excited to offer a delicious option for parents struggling to develop good eating habits for their children, fighting the growing problem of child obesity."

What sets Zevia apart from diet sodas, amongst other things, is stevia, an herb native to the South American rainforest that has been used as a sugar substitute for centuries in many countries outside of the United States. Zevia is made with all natural ingredients without the addition of sugar, fat or artificial sweetener, artificial color or preservatives. The extract from the stevia leaf, also known as "sweet leaf," contains less than one calorie, has no effect on blood sugar levels and offers up to 300 times the sweetness of sugar. Zevia's recipe has been carefully developed to appeal to a wide variety of consumers and pairs the most refreshing fruit or classic cola flavors with stevia's characteristic sweet taste.

As avid soda drinkers unable to find a satisfying substitute in the market, Derek and Jessica Newman together with friend and Seattle entrepreneur Ian Eisenberg, decided to look for a natural alternative and develop the product themselves. One and a half years later, Zevia is now being introduced as a natural alternative for diet soda lovers throughout the country.

"All of us saw a void to fill in the market and so our goal is to introduce the product in all natural markets, then to reach diet drinkers everywhere," added Ian Eisenberg, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Zevia.

According to the USDA, soft drink consumption has increased 500 percent over the past 50 years and according to Journal of the American Medical Association, there is a strong positive relationship between sugar-sweetened beverages and diabetes risk. In addition, The Lancet, the world's leading independent general medical journal, says that every additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soda increases a child's risk for obesity by 60 percent. In addition to being a delicious thirst quencher, substituting diet soda with Zevia offers several healthy benefits to consumers including maintenance of healthy blood sugar levels, and avoiding weight gain and tooth decay. Suggested retail price for a six-pack of Zevia cans is $5.99 and $1.19 for a single can.