Vitamin water and alkaline water are part of a growing trend these days.
As a society, we know that lifestyle changes are needed. Things like obesity, heart disease and cancer are affecting more and more people each year. For that reason, the popularity of health boosting drinks is growing. But before we invest hundreds to thousands of dollars in the next drink fad, do these supplemented beverages really have a pay-off?
Let me start with Vitamin Water.
Many of us hate eating fruits and vegetables so Vitamin Water seems like the next best bet. Here is the problem with Vitamin Water. First, the added vitamins and minerals are synthetic. This means they were made in a lab as opposed to grown in real foods. Dr Daniel H. Chong ND likens consuming synthetic vitamins to eating refined foods. These “refined” vitamins and minerals are in an artificial form and are do not contain the full nutrient structure of their whole food counterpart. We must add to the equation that Vitamin Waters contain high levels of sweeteners. The first ingredient listed on the label after water is crystalline fructose followed by cane sugar. That is a lot of sugar. At the end of the day, drinking Vitamin Water is not much better than drinking a soda.
What about Alklaine Water?
This fad arose from the growing concern that modern diets leave our bodies in a detrimental acidic state. The ideal pH of the body is about 7.2, meaning slightly alkaline. A bodily shift to an acidic pH becomes problematic on a cellular level. The liver, pancreas, heart, lungs and brain can not function properly in an acidic environment. Alkaline water is made by altering the pH of water to above 7 to mimic the desired pH of the body.
Does consuming alkaline water therefore alter the pH of the body?
Unfortunately, no. Dr. Mercola likens Alkaline Water to snake oil. It seems like a good idea, but it doesn’t solve the internal problem. Dr. Mercola states that the only possible short term benefit of Alkaline Water is a slight temporary increase in bodily detoxification. Unfortunately this benefit is brief, only lasting for the first week or two of regular consumption. Although balancing the body’s pH is never simple, consuming more fruits and veggies and less sugar and refined carbohydrates is a good start.
High end fruit juice blends like Naked Juice are another problematic category of product.
These are often given the label “no added sugar” to appeal to health conscious customers. Here’s the thing though. Fruit only has a small impact on blood sugar. This is because the fiber in fruit helps slow the surge of sugar into the body. Once the sugar has been separated from the fiber, it is perceived by the body very similarly to table sugar. One of these Naked Juices has about 26 grams of sugar per 8 ounce serving. A Coca Cola has about the same. While there are other reasons to choose juice over soda, juice isn’t as healthy as one might think.
What should you drink if you want some health benefits from your beverage?
Certain teas are extremely beneficial for health. For instance, 
green tea is a extremely high in the catechin EGCG which has been shown through numerous studies to provide protective cardiovascular and metabolic benefits. Chamomile teas are great for blood sugar stabilization. Oolong teas was found through a study to improve lipid metabolism and fight against obesity. Teas are a great way to go if you want a drink that will support your health.
Coconut water is another healthy drink option.
Coconut water is not a concocted “health beverage” like Vitamin Water or Alkaline Water. It is a naturally occurring product extracted from young coconuts. Coconut water is high in vitamins and minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants. Unlike Vitamin Water which provides synthetic nutrients. coconut water’s nutrients are in their natural state and are more likely to be properly metabolized by the body
So that is why I avoid Vitamin Water, Alkaline Water and other fad health drinks.
They are all hype and little help. If you really love the taste of one of these drinks, then go ahead and include them occasionally for fun. Things we enjoy enhance our lives. You all know how I love my coffee. But don’t waste your money on a bunch of empty promises. You can get a quality box of tea for $6 to $10. I’ve gotten coconut water on sale for 99 cents. If you really want to use beverages to support your health, those options will give the best bang for the buck.
What an interesting article. I do not drink nearly as much water as I should; opting for diluted drinks for the added flavour. I do like fruit teas though.
I tend to mix juice with water as I find them too sweet.
I am yet to try coconut water but have heard nothing but good things about it.
It is a good idea to dilute fruit juice with water Phoenicia. Juice on its own has way too much sugar. If you’ve never tried Juice with seltzer water, you should definitely give it a go. It tastes kind of like a soda.
I drink mostly water. For the past year, my husband and I have done juicing with a Nutribullet. But my kids say blech. Someone gave us some coconut water – couldn’t understand the point. I use a lot of coconut oil – that’s much richer and great for cooking. I like much of Weston Price – eat real food.
Yes, I love coconut oil too. I love adding it to my curries after I’ve cooked. It gives them a really creamy taste and helps maintain the nutritional profile of the coconut oil by not over-heating it!
Drink a lot of water and, like you, have no interest in the health drinks available. Most of them are full of sugar and all kinds of other ingredients that are not healthy for us.
Good for you Catarina. Most of us need more water than we drink. It sounds like you are ahead of the game.
This is probably the best article covering water that I have seen! Thank YOU! I am a water-holic! LOL, I drink close to a gallon a day, but I drink plain old tap water from a tap with a minimal filter. Never did see the value of vitamin water…thanks for letting me know that my instincts are mostly correct, and when a friend mentioned to me that she made the switch to alkaline water I laughed! Coconut water I like, but drink once in a while and mostly as a treat because I do think it is overpriced!
Thank you Jacqueline for your kind words. And yes, while coconut water has health value, it certainly isn’t mandatory to drink it. You can be very healthy without drinking it. Some vegetables are very cheap and are nutritious too. These health fads become so popular and people start feeling like there is no way to be healthy without including a certain item in their diet. That is never the case.
This is a great article on water. I drink a lot of water and sometimes look for something a little different, for variety, and have turned to the vitamin waters. Not sure I will anymore. My daughter drinks coconut water, but I don’t like the taste.
The funny thing Donna is that I don’t like the taste of coconut water either. Before I drank it for the first time, I didn’t expect it to have such a strong taste. I sometimes use it as my base for smoothies because it loses its distinct taste when mixed with different flavors. Though there are lots of healthy options out there, so no need to drink it if it is not for you!
You know I used to drink Vitamin Water all the time until I came across an article and learned what was really in it and stopped. I have tried to drink green tea and it just tastes like grass clippings to me so the most I can manage is a cup or two a day. Mostly I just drink plain water, sometimes I’ll throw in a slice of lemon or lime, but that’s it. Thanks for the great information!
Your comment about green tea totally cracked me up Marquita. I love adding cucumber and oranges to water so I think we are on the same page!
Good information Leora. Seems like the beverage makers and marketers seem to reinvent the same crap and put new labels on it. I think I’ll stick to straight up water.
You make a good point Ken. Advertising execs have something huge to gain from us wanting to buy a product. They don’t care if it improves our health or not. They just need us to spend our money on it. So if they can convince us to buy something because it “sounds” healthy, they’ve done their job. It is up to us to really investigate for ourselves if something lives up to how it is advertised.
There is nothing better for us than good old plain water. I think we’d ask be so much better off if we send nothing else. 🙂
Good point Susan! Most of us don’t drink nearly enough water, and doing so is one of the best ways to support health.
I have never been much for fads – they come and go but often while they are here, they can do a lot of damage. People drinking that vitamin water may use it as an excuse to cut back of eating real foods, like fruits and vegetables, which can cause serious health problems. Thanks for writing this post and setting people straight. I don’t particularly like water so I slice up lemons and freeze them. Then I use a couple of slices of lemon as ice-cubes in my water and this works great.
Lenie, it really is horrible when people think that because they take some kind of supplement, they don’t have to eat health. That is really when these things become damaging. I’ve never tried lemons as ice cubes. Really neat idea!
I’ve been wondering the same thing about kombucha lately. It seems to be all the rage, but I’m wondering if you couldn’t get similar benefits from just drinking tea, without the $3 per bottle price tag?
I think kombucha is all the rage because it is fermented and the healthy bacteria is good for our gut. Having said that, I believe that kombucha is also usually made with sugar which detracts from its beneficial health effects. In that case it is better to drink regular tea and then another fermented food of your liking.
I agree with you completely. A company slaps “vitamin” on a product or “natural” and suddenly it’s the new best thing. Coconut water is wonderful and provides electrolytes lost through intensive exercise. Teas have been around for years and their healing properties are well documented. I recently purchased an infusion water bottle. I can add pieces of fruit and get a hint of the fruit’s flavor, I really like it.
I think I commented on this to someone else Pamela, but I love “spa” water (or what is basically fruit and cucumbers added to water). I’m totally with you on that one.
Very interesting post. Erica. I had no idea some people are attempting to take their nutrients via an infused water. I’m all for getting our nutrients via the most natural sources possible. Otherwise, you might as well pop a vitamin!
Natural sources are always good Doreen! Thank you for commenting!
I love water! I drink it all day with ice! A little orange juice now and then is nice but I mostly stick to water. Don’t like coffee. Do have herbal tea now and then.
It is nice that you enjoy water. Herbal teas are also a good option so it looks like you have some healthy beverage choices.
Perfect timing Erica. I just went out and bought a couple of Naked “Kale Blazers” in the hope that it would give me a boost in vegetables. The price was a little steep but I figured it was a healthy option and I never drink soda. Now, after reading this, I can pocket the Naked price of nearly $4 a bottle and go back to coconuts 🙂
I’ve never heard of the Kale Blazer. But yes, you could probably save your $4. There are cheaper ways to get more nutrition. Glad this was helpful for you!
I can’t imagine buying any of these products (the fad ones); indeed, you’d have to pay me to drink them. I love fresh fruit and eat it every day of my life, and it bewilders me that someone would prefer a bottle of VitaminWater to a Granny Smith apple or a bowl of green seedless grapes. But to each her/his own, I guess.
I agree Andy. The apple really is better. Maybe if we started labeling fruit as low-cal, low-fat or alkaline fruit, more people would buy it!
Thanks for providing this article. I don’t drink vitamin water but I have been on the alkaline kick lately. I already drink green tea but I will try coconut water soon.
Green tea is good Jason. And no need to drink coconut water if you don’t like it. It is just a healthy option. It is certainly not mandatory for good health.
I am like you; I do not trust the current phase. This week they are in, and good for you, next week they are bad. I drink plain water by the tons, and I still don’t seem to get enough of it.
It is interesting to see the different trends that pop up. I always say, we learn about products from marketing execs, not nutritionists so it is always good to be wary. Sounds like you have good instincts about that.
Such a true post! It is amazing how easily fooled we all are when it comes to advertising. I do go for those drinks over a soda, it makes me feel like I’m making a slightly better choice, but I know that water is the real smart choice! 🙂
I would say that those drinks are much better than soda Christine. At least they don’t have as many chemicals, even if they are filled with sugar. Soda is really the worst.
I’m suddenly thirsty. Never went in for water fads but I may give coconut water a try.
Coconut water is definitely worth a try. It is not for everyone as it has a very distinct taste. I use it sometimes as a base for smoothies, but I don’t really like the taste of it on its own. You’ll have to let me know how you like it.
I only drink normal water, but now a days as you said, this trend for using waters with additional ingredients are getting popular.
I try to drink as much water as possible as it is something most needed by our body. I also try to avoid soft drinks or juices from market (but fresh).
Besides thanks for a great article as I never thought of harmful effects of other waters like Vitamin water etc.
I will also forward this to few friends who take other than normal water.
I’m definitely a water person and have been for years. Growing up, my mom always had a Diet Pepsi in her hand and it just really turned me off from soda for the most part. My water quirk is that I don’t like it cold. I like room temp liquids.
One thing I do have to comment though is that regardless of alkaline water being of any help to the bodies alkalinity. A person with a compromised system such as stomach cancer can utilize this water better than ones that are acidic. This comes witnessing first hand my mother having trouble drinking water, we eventually narrowed it down to the fact that the tap and the Aquafina brand were coming out very acidic. After correcting that and making sure the water sources she had were above a pH of 7 she had no issues. So regardless of if Alkaline Water provides little benefit I witnessed first hand that it is at least a hell of a lot better to consume than acidic water.
I’m glad that alkaline water was helpful to your mother during such a difficult time. Thank you so much for sharing
Hello There, Very resourceful article. I gained more knowledge about vitamin water and alkaline. As I grew up, water is my survival tool. I hope the children nowadays would read this so they can have ideal why they need water than other artificial beverages.
Thank you, Jane. It really is amazing how we can overlook the value of plan, old-fashioned water. Thanks for stopping by!
“Alkaline” water doesn’t go far at all: It is instantly neutralized by the acid in one’s stomach. One is better off drinking pure, clean water and making sure one gets the required minerals through one’s diet, letting the body sort out what to keep and what to eliminate through perspiration and urination. The body goes to great lengths to maintain its pH within a range that it needs, not what a marketing executive thinks.