Is there anything special about flavoured water? Those crystal-clear bottles advertised as healthy and vitamin enriched, do they live up to the hype? Why are people shelling out their money for a bottle of this water?

Flavoured water became popular with health and fitness freaks, as people moved over from drinking carbonated beverages to a ‘healthy’ alternative. The brands promised water enriched with vitamins and minerals. This seemed to be a better choice than soda and would be tastier than drinking plan water. These waters were supposed to also satisfy your taste buds.

But is that all to it?

Appears that flavoured waters may also contain- artificial flavours, sweeteners, colour and a few unpronounceable ingredients as well! Such kind of ingredients throws a spanner in the works. It is almost as good as drinking a regular soda!

Artificial sweeteners: Like Aspartame, Sucralose, Saccharin etc are known to have negative effects on the body. These include- formation of gas, bloating and digestive issues. In addition, substances like- chlorine, phosphene are known to upset the flora of the digestive system. This kills good bacteria which is needed for intestinal health and can cause digestive upsets like diarrhoea and laxative effects.

Other sweeteners: Other varieties of flavoured water could contain sweeteners like sugar, honey, agave nectar etc. If you want to cut back on calories and eat healthy, its best to avoid them. It makes no sense to ditch sweets/ sweet foods only to consume sugar from your drinking water……. Of all places!

Added flavour: When manufacturers add flavour to foods (whether from natural or artificial sources), you need to be careful. A single flavouring can contain numerous compounds, some of them quite complex. Are these good for your health? Well, probably no. These are synthetic, man-made compounds that are known to disrupt your taste buds. The body becomes accustomed to these synthetic tastes and healthy, whole foods seem unpalatable. This is best kept out of your water.

In addition, citric based flavouring agents are known to cause damage to your teeth. These cause dental erosion and make the teeth prone to cavities. On the other hand, if the manufacturer uses essence (extracted by a process like steam distillation), this could be a better option.

Added colour: This is something that needs to be avoided, as with flavours, colouring is another additive. The whole purpose of drinking water seems to be taking on a different twist. Isn’t water supposed to be crystal clear? Stop and ask yourself “if” water should be coloured at all!

Colouring also contains numerous unhealthy ingredients- these have been known to cause memory problems, asthma, learning difficulties and nerve damage to name a few. The FDA does not strictly regulate these additives and you are better off not consuming them at all.

While an occasional bottle of flavoured water isn’t harmful, try and limit your intake.

On the other hand, there is a natural and totally safe way of sprucing up your water!

Try infused water recipes- experiment and play around with natural ingredients like lime, citrus fruit, mint, cucumber, ginger, watermelon, green apple, cinnamon, grapes, kiwi etc. You can also add herbs like rosemary, basil, lemon grass etc to your plain water. Store it for 2-3 hours and keep sipping on this water throughout the day. This is great for hydration and you do not need to worry about artificial ingredients in your water!

Tender coconut water is another natural food for good hydration! It contains a healthy balance of electrolytes beneficial to the human body.

If you would like to know more about infused water or the benefits of tender coconut water, have a look at the following links: https://1to1help.net/articles/Fruit-Infused-Water/NTYw

https://1to1help.net/articles/Cool-off-with-Coconut-Water/Njg2

References

(2018). Retrieved from https://bangordailynews.com/2017/04/26/health/the-downside-to-drinking-%EF%AC%82avored-water/

(2018). Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/495961-is-flavored-water-healthy/

Grossmann, K. (2018). All Bottled Up: "Natural" Flavored Water is NOT Pure Drinking Water. Retrieved from https://blog.radiantlifecatalog.com/bid/59645/All-Bottled-Up-Natural-Flavored-Water-is-NOT-Pure-Drinking-Water

How To Know If Flavored Water Is Actually Good For You. (2018). Retrieved from http://htwo.com/is-flavored-water-good-for-you/

Is flavored sparkling water actually healthy and hydrating?. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/is-flavored-sparkling-water-actually-healthy-and-hydrating/ar-AAyRJRp

Is Flavored Water Healthy? - Healthy Options, Philippines : Blog. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.healthyoptions.com.ph/blog/flavored-water-healthy

Lurz, N. (2018). Is flavored water healthy? | health enews. Retrieved from https://www.ahchealthenews.com/2016/11/07/flavored-water-healthy/

Quinn, S. (2018). How your 'healthy' flavoured water contains more sugar than cola. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/healthyeating/11504822/How-your-healthy-flavoured-water-contains-more-sugar-than-cola.html