Enthusiastic representatives of a young California drink company called Function will be all over Downtown this week sharing their product with the public. With South by Southwest and St. Patrick’s Day happening in rapid succession, this is one product placement that could not be better timed. Function’s premier product is a nutritional supplement water called Urban Detox, created specifically to combat the physical discomforts resulting from an evening (day, week?) of alcohol overindulgence. The drink is a blend of several antioxidants, most notably N-acetylcysteine (known as NAC) and prickly pear extract, plus vitamins and nutrients chosen for their ability to help the body both break down alcohol and fight dehydration. NAC works in the liver to break down acetaldehyde, the toxin produced when the body breaks down alcohol, and the main culprit in those debilitating hangover symptoms. The blend of nutritional supplements in Urban Detox can also aid the lungs in clearing the effects of exposure to cigarette smoke and air pollution. According to the promotional material, drinkers are most likely to benefit from Urban Detox if it is enjoyed before sleeping off the evening’s indulgence.
Urban Detox and the other nine functional drinks in the company’s line are the brainchild of 30-year-old Texas native Dr. Alex Hughes, currently the chief resident in orthopedic surgery at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Hughes put his educational background in biomedical engineering and his practical hospital experience to work in creating Function drinks and founded the company with two friends in 2005. While Urban Detox is currently their most high-profile product, the line also includes House Call (immune-system booster), Light Weight (to stimulate metabolism), Shock Sports (rehydration and muscle recovery after exercise), and Alternative Energy (energy and stamina booster), among others. Function’s product claims have not been tested by the Food and Drug Administration, so the proof will have to be in the tasting. The company sent samples to the Chronicle office in recent weeks – I shared Urban Detox and House Call with the Food staff this week and kept the Light Weight for myself. We will share any results after we’ve had a chance to try them out, and we’d love to hear from readers about how (or if) these drinks have functioned for them. Function staffers will be at several venues this week, and they’ll also be doing product demonstrations at the Whole Foods Market store Downtown, where Function products have been selling for about a year.
This article appears in March 14 • 2008.