What are the best water choices?

Water – who would think one has different choices for plain water?  Growing up, there was water from the tap and some businesses had the water in the large bottles and you held a paper cup under to get a very small drink of water.  Now, there are so many choices and a lot of misinformation on what water is best to drink.  With the heat of summer upon us, hydration is important as drinking water is always a good way to stay hydrated.  But what “water” is best and which “water” should you avoid?

Water is actually a nutrient and we need water to keep our temperature normal, to help cushion and lubricate our joints, and to get rid of wastes through perspiration and urination.  In hot weather and when we are physically active, we need even more water.  Since plain water has no calories, researchers have found drinking water can help one control body weight and can cut back on calories if plain water replaces sugared sodas.   And we are drinking a lot of water.  CDC reports that in the U.S., youths drank about 15 ounces (about 2 cups) of water a day, while adults drank an average of 39 ounces (almost 5 cups) a day.  And Americans really like their bottled water.  In 1997 we were drinking about 13.5 gallons of bottled water annually and by 2007 we were drinking about 29 gallons of bottled water a year. 

Recommended Water Choices

1. Plain tap water – public water is regulated by the EPA so is safe to drink.  It is also fortified with fluoride so is good for your teeth.  If you want more purified water, you can choose a refrigerator or pitcher filtered water.  We have a filter in our refrigerator and the water just seems to taste better.  If you are concerned about the safety of your local water supply, you can check out the Environmental Working Group’s database on water contamination at:  https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/
2. Spring Water – when I ask my husband to buy some bottled water, he always makes sure it is Spring water.  To be labeled as “Spring Water” the water has to meet FDA’s standards of being “derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface, this water must be collected only at the spring or through a borehole that taps the underground formation feeding the spring.” 

Choose Spring Water.

3. Mineral Water – FDA defines mineral water as coming “from an underground source and contains at least 250 parts per million of total dissolved solids.  Minerals and trace elements must come from the source of the underground water” and not added later.  Thus, this type of water from underground reservoirs may provide minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and sodium.  Some believe these extra minerals are beneficial to one’s health.  MedicalNewsToday notes, “Mineral water rich in magnesium may therefore help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.”  And they note the calcium in mineral water can help promote bone health.

Choose glass bottles or cans.

4. Sparkling Water – a good replacement for sugared sodas.  You get some flavor without the added calories and all the added sugars.  Researchers recommend reading the label to be sure there are zero calories and zero added sugar in the sparkling water.  Look at the ingredients to be sure there is no high fructose corn syrup or other sugar added.   If the sparking water is flavored, that is fine. 

Waters to Avoid Drinking

1. Distilled Water – not a healthy choice to drink.  Use distilled water in your iron or in appliances that call for distilled water, but don’t drink it.  Distilled water is made from the steam of boiling water; this removes most of the minerals.  It tastes pretty bland as most of the minerals have been removed.  Since most minerals have been removed, it is not a healthy choice for drinking.  WebMD notes that “distilled water may not help you stay hydrated as well as other kinds of water.” 
2. Purified tap water – When you are buying bottled water are you just buying tap water that has been filtered?  As noted above, when buying bottled water my husband makes sure it is Spring Water and not purified tap water.  WebMD says about 25% of the bottled water Americans buy is just purified tap water including Aquafina and Dasani.  To avoid buying purified tap water, look for the words “spring water” on the label. 

Purified Tap Water.

3. Alkaline water – some people are promoting alkaline water as being healthy as it has a higher pH, usually above 7. But our kidneys work hard to keep the pH in our bodies balanced.  Others claim that alkaline water is better for your after a workout as this water has more hydrogen and thus better for hydration.   Unfortunately, there isn’t the  research to support this.  It may be safe to drink, but save your money and hydrate with tap water, spring water, mineral water or sparkling water.

If you want to hydrate and save money, drink some tap water.  Concerned about impurities in tap water, then drink some filtered tap water such as the filtered water from your fridge or use a pitcher that filters water.  If you are buying bottled water, skip the purified tap water and choose spring water or mineral water or many of the sparkling waters now available.  I try to buy bottled water in glass bottles or cans to lessen the plastic waste from plastic water bottles.  When we do buy in plastic bottles, we recycle the plastic bottles.  And many times, I fill up a reusable metal bottle with filtered water from the fridge. No recycling and inexpensive.

Sources:  nutrient , calories , CDC , bottled , safety , https://www.ewg.org/tapwater/, FDA’s , defines , minerals , MedicalNewsToday , Researchers , Distilled , notes , 25 , claim , support   Image sources:  Tap Water , Poland , Perrier