Does the taste of plain old water turn you off? Find out whether flavored water is healthy for you, and how to stay naturally hydrated.
You are not alone in your distaste for H20. According to Quartz, retail sales of carbonated water have grown 88% in the last six years, to gross more than $2.3 billion in 2018. Flavored water was up 72% to more than $3 billion in 2018.
This trend is even putting sales of flavored water above soda, which can be seen as a good thing. After all, soda consumption has been linked to higher cases of heart disease, diabetes, kidney stones, osteoporosis, and tooth decay. Not to mention this study published in Pediatric Obesity that shows drinking diet soda can make you consume up to 200 more calories per day than not drinking it.
There is no diet that drinking water is good for your health. But, does flavored water count towards your daily recommended water intake, and is there a natural way to flavor your water?
Before we dive into the different kinds of flavored water available in stores, let’s talk about some considerations with any flavored drinks.
Carbonation
One of the hardest things to give up if you are cutting down on soda, is giving up the bubbly effervescence of carbonation.
Carbonation by itself is not actually bad for you, as demonstrated in this article from HuffPost. Unlike soda, it does not decay your teeth or lead to greater risk of osteoporosis. In fact, it is just as hydrating as regular old water. By the way, this refers specifically to seltzer water, which has no flavoring at all- just bubbles.
Sugar
When combined with other macronutrients in food like protein or fat, sugar can be apart of a healthy and balanced diet. However, sugary drinks are a different story.
The whole point of flavoring water is to add something it doesn’t naturally have. In order to make it taste good, that usually means sugar.
If you are a nutrition label ninja, you are probably already aware that there are upwards of 40 different names for sugar. When it comes to flavored waters, you also have to be aware that many beverages are also loaded up with fake sugars, which do not have to be identified under the “sugar” category. They are classified as “food additives”.
Instead, you have to look at the ingredient list for names like Acesulfame K, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, sucralose, xylitol, stevia, agave, or other sugar alternatives.
Some of these sugar alternatives can be 200-400 times sweeter than sugar. While these have all been approved as “safe” by the FDA, that does not mean they are healthy. In fact, some of these can cause gas, bloating or diarrhea. Some may actually impact your blood sugar, or be unsafe for dogs or children. Finally, some of these sugar alternatives have calories.
When it comes to flavored waters, be aware of how much sugar is in your beverage, and whether there is a sugar alternative you should be cautious of. Especially if you plan on drinking flavored waters on a daily basis.
Colors
If your flavored water is any color other than clear, you might want to consider what is being used to give it a vibrant color.
Artificial colors have been linked to a number of concerns, including cancer and hyperactivity in children. Of course, not all studies are foolproof.
However, if you know that artificial colors are derived from petroleum, sourced from crude oil, would that impact your desire to bring it into your house?
What about “natural” colors? Are they are healthier than artificial colors?
Maybe. When I look at the FDA website, it indicates that natural colors are exempt from certification and are sourced from vegetables, minerals or animals. Some examples include annatto extract (yellow), dehydrated beets (bluish-red to brown), caramel (yellow to tan), beta-carotene (yellow to orange) and grape skin extract (red, green).
Because they are exempt from certification, it makes me cautious over how these natural sources are regulated (if at all). Plus, the use of the word “natural” on any food label is not a regulated term, and is used to attract more buyers.
In any case, food manufacturers will not be required to identify which types of colors are used in their products, and may simply use an umbrella term of “natural flavoring”.
As long as the original flavoring source comes from plant or animal material, it is classified as a natural flavor. However, natural flavors are chemical mixes that can have up to 100 incidental additives, such as preservatives, solvents or other substances.
Sodium
The average American consumes up to 3400 milligrams of sodium every day. By contrast, the American Heart Association recommends no more than 1500 milligrams of sodium.
What are the dangers of sodium? Aside from high blood pressure, stroke, osteoporosis and kidney disease, sodium defeats the purpose of water. Water is designed to hydrate us, not make us puffy or bloated due to water retention.
Flavored water has to taste good, or we wouldn’t buy it. And, if the flavored water has no added sugar or color, chances are good it has some form of sodium.
Now that we have a better understanding of what could be contained within our favorite flavored water, is it actually healthy for us? In other words, does it hydrate us as well as regular still water?
Even with added ingredients, flavored water can still hydrate better than other beverages, such as coffee, tea, or soda.
What about water enhancers? A water enhancer is a small, portable container of concentrated liquid flavor are designed to be mixed into plain water a few drops at a time. The benefits of these are they don’t require you to store large bottles in your fridge, and you can choose how much to use in your reusable water bottle.
I’ll be honest- the only time I thought about using a water enhancer was when I was training for my half marathon. When going on a training run for more than 1 hour on a hot day, I felt the need to replenish lost carbs through some liquid source. Part of this is due to my decreased appetite after running.
Many water enhancers have added vitamins, minerals or electrolytes. While exercising for long periods of time might call for increased electrolytes to replenish lost potassium or sodium, they are not beneficial for the average American.
Side note: because many water enhancers mimic the potential of Powerade, Gatorade or other sports drinks, it is important to note than none of those items are required to hydrate your body effectively.
Finally, before we dive into some nutrition information on popular flavored waters, is water derived from coconut more hydrating?
While coconut water has more potassium and can potentially hydrate athletes better than sports drinks, you would have to drink much more coconut water than plain water in order to stay well hydrated.
Want to improve your hydration this summer, and kick the soda, beer, or sports drink dependency? Join me inside of 30 Days this July, with a focus on HYDRATION.
Popular Flavored Waters
- La Croix
This is by far the most popular of the sparkling flavored waters, and I often see people purchasing these by the pack.
From a nutrition standpoint, there is no sugar, calories, or any else of note. Because it is clear, there appear to be no added colors, though there are natural flavors. Apricot sounds delicious.
- Bubly
That clever ad with Michael Buble as the sponsor for Bubly still sticks out in my head. When you look up the nutrition label for Bubly, it has 10 mg of sodium, and nothing else.
However, look at the ingredient list to make sure there are no added “natural” ingredients. Strictly speaking, this ranks pretty high on the list. I prefer the lime flavor.
- Perrier
The French seem to have their wine game down, and Perrier has been around for 150 years. Because Europe has different nutrition label standards than the US, you can also see that Perrier has a small amount of calcium.
- Dasani Sparkling
This flavored water gets a thumbs-down in terms of how much sodium it has- 60 mg per serving! Not surprising, considering it’s a Coke product.
- Sparkling Ice
From a taste standpoint, I really enjoy Sparkling Ice. However, this is one of the flavored waters that contains sucralose, as well as a modest amount of calories. However, it also has trace amounts of potassium and calcium.
Staying hydrated over the hot summer months is an important step to creating a healthy lifestyle you can love. Even small changes, such as replacing one beverage per day with a tall glass of plain old water will have you smiling.
Drink up!