The Coca-Cola Company is being sued for making "deceptive and unsubstantiated claims" about its VitaminWater line of beverages, which it touts as healthy alternatives to soft drinks, lawyers for the plaintiff say.

Coca-Cola is misleading consumers by using words such as "energy" and "endurance" on VitaminWater bottles and claiming that the drinks reduce the risk of illness and boost health, said the Centre for Science in the Public Interest, which is co-counsel to the man who filed the suit in a California court.

"In fact, according to CSPI nutritionists, the 33 grams of sugar in each bottle of VitaminWater do more to promote obesity, diabetes and other health problems than the vitamins in the drinks do to perform the advertised benefits listed on the bottles," the health advocacy group said in a statement.