Dr Zainab Dambazau, DVM (Unimaid), MPH (Walden), MSc Inf. Dis. (LSHTM), FCVSN(Public Health), NFELTP

Email:theonehealthmessenger@gmail.com



You’re walking through a market on a hot day. You spot that glistening, chilled zobo drink; deep red, sweet, refreshing. You buy it. It’s cheap. You gulp it down. But here’s the thing: do you know what’s inside?


Let’s burst the bubble.


Many vendors no longer stick to the basics: hibiscus leaves, ginger, cloves, pineapple peel, and sweetener.

Some are now adding artificial coloring (especially textile dyes), saccharin or sodium cyclamate as sweeteners, and preservatives like sodium benzoate — in unmeasured, unsafe quantities. Why? To cut cost, improve color, and extend shelf life.



These shortcuts might keep the zobo looking fresh, but they also:

• Disrupt gut health

• Harm your liver and kidneys

• And in extreme cases, increase cancer risk (depending on the substances used)


What to Watch Out For:

• Color too dark or purplish? Be cautious.

• Tastes too sweet? It may contain artificial sweeteners.

• Smells odd or overly perfumed? Might not be natural.

• Lasts more than 2 days without refrigeration? Red flag.


Your move? Ask what’s in your drink. Purchase from a trusted vendor. Or better still, make yours at home.