Designer Waters
Submitted by SharpMan Editorial Team on Saturday 16th October 2010- Weighing your water options.
- How the additives add up.
- A little look at labels goes a long way.
Your body can’t live without it — good old H20. But today’s water isn’t just water anymore, it now comes packed with everything from A (amino acids) to Z (zinc) and all manner of additives in between. The question is: do all these things really make it better? Or, is that amazing little invention — your kitchen tap — still the best way to go? The SharpMan Team waded through gallons of information to find out. Read on for the 411 on which products came out on top... and which are all wet:
64-Ounces of Options
There are actually classifications of water. For example: to be labeled "Spring Water" or "Purified" or anything similar, the bottled water has to meet the requirements of its classification.
A lot of brands and types of water fall into the drinking water category. Drinking water can’t have calories and must be sugar-free. It can have flavors or extracts added, but they must total less than 1 percent of the final product.
Artesian is a word you find on some bottled water. This means it is water collected from a well drilled into an aquifer. The water rises to the surface through underground pressure rather than from mechanical pumps.
Spring water is one of the most common labels on bottled water. It is collected from a source underground and usually requires some treatment before it is bottled.
Purified water has been put through a treatment process such as distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other process that allows it to meet the definition of "purified" in the United States.
Mineral water is labeled as such because of its level and proportion of minerals and other trace elements at the time it emerges from its source; no additional minerals may be added to this type of water.
Soda water (also known as seltzer or tonic) is different from sparkling water. Soda water is not actually considered bottled water and may contain sugar and calories. In fact, it’s considered a soft drink, whereas sparkling water contains natural or added carbon dioxide in the same amount that it contained when obtained from its source.
So much for water 101… now come the additions. Vitamins, herbs, minerals, antioxidants, lightly-flavored, essential oil extracts, calcium and caffeine are some of the most common things added to water today.
The Taste Test
For people who do not drink enough water — six to eight glasses or 64 ounces — added flavorings might help. According to a survey conducted for the International Bottled Water Association, 13 percent of people claim to dislike the taste of water. And, since some people say the reason they don't drink water is because of the taste, a little flavor just might be the answer.
Of course, every benefit carries a burden. In many cases, the flavor and color added to these waters also contains sugar, which translates into carbohydrates. Word to the Atkins-wise.
Bottled water isn’t the only answer to the flavor question. If it is easier to gulp your daily dose of H2O with that extra little zip, try adding some fresh lemon or lime on your own. You’ll be surprised at the savings when you price a few lemons against one bottle of flavored water.
As far as other additives are concerned, with the exception of magnesium and sodium found in most unpurified water, most of the vitamins and minerals in designer waters aren’t really "necessary." Even a person who works out 30 minutes a day should be getting enough vitamins through his or her diet. If not, a daily vitamin tablet may be a more balanced — and less expensive — way to go. At more than a dollar a bottle for around 21 ounces, getting your daily requirement can get pretty expensive. Plus your efforts could backfire if you accidentally imbibe too much of a vitamin, herb or essential oil.
Bottoms Up? — The Bottom Line
Next time you’re at the market or your favorite convenience store, check out the bottled water. You may find up to 50 varieties. Luckily for consumers, what lands on the shelves is regulated to some degree. The FDA now requires water products to maintain minimum standards to ensure consumer safety.
"Neutraceutical" waters — those designed to deliver specific health benefits — are regulated by separate standards from other bottled waters when their additives exceed one percent. What are these additives? Broadly categorized they are known as neutraceuticals, natural chemical compounds intended to promote health, prevent disease or contain medicinal properties. They are considered an element of "alternative" medicine, so often the benefits are backed by limited research studies. Be sure to browse the label before you toss those bottles in your shopping cart. Then do a little research to learn what’s really in those 21 ounces.
It all comes down to: are you buying bottled water for the right reasons? If it's because it's convenient or you drink more because it tastes better, then the added added cost may be worth your while. On the flip side, if you are choosing these waters for the healthful or designer" qualities, you may be wasting your money.
The Sharp Taste-Test of the Designers
Finally, here’s a sampling of what water world has to offer:
Aquafina Essentials — Choose from four different varieties, B-Power, Calcium +, Daily C and Multi-V, which are all lightly sweetened.
Gatorade’s Propel Fitness Water — Offers three lightly flavored, non-carbonated choices made from purified water; has 10 calories in an 8-ounce serving and contains four B vitamins and two antioxidants.
Peace Mountain Skinny Water — This 20-ounce bottle of water is infused with Super CitriMax which is supposed to be a natural appetite suppressant and is high in magnesium; it contains no calories.
Glaceau Soywater — A 20-ounce bottle that has 50 calories per 8-ounce serving and contains soy and water, as well as 100 percent RDA of vitamins A, C and E; it comes in orange cream, strawberry banana and pina colada.
Poland Springs — Nestlé’s answer to bottled spring water. If you look closely, you’ll find that many of the major soda bottlers also have their hand in the bottled water market.
This article last updated on Saturday 16th October 2010