Are you one of those people who know you really should be drinking the hydrating, tasteless, clear fluid daily, but just the thought of it leaves you cold? Then, much to your relief, they started bringing out new bottled waters with added vitamins and minerals, which taste great! The question is, can you drink these beverages as a suitable alternative to water?
Sugar and other calorie containing sweeteners
Let’s just put it out there – on average, water products with added vitamins and minerals can contain as many 120 calories per bottle and as much as 31g of sugar. Compare that to a can of cola, with 39g of sugar.
To top it off, many of these products have more than just one sweetener added. Look at the ingredients and you will see items such as cane sugar, crystalline fructose or dextrose – all of which contribute to the total amount of sugar.
Thus, the answer is no, water with added vitamins and minerals cannot form part of a weight loss programme and it will not properly hydrate you.
Artificial Sweeteners
There are, however, flavoured waters without the added sugar that use artificial sweeteners with very little calorific value in its place. If you are not sensitive to artificial sweeteners, then this could be a better option to the sugar-flavoured water from a calorie perspective, however, there are still other ingredients that might make you reconsider!
Colouring
Many products have colouring added. Some ranges use vegetable or fruit juice concentrates for colouring, but most choose artificial colourings, which individuals can be sensitive to.
Additives
‘Natural flavouring’ might also appear on the ingredients list and there is no way to tell what these flavourings actually are. As with most other commercial products, preservatives are also used to keep flavoured waters fresh for longer.
Fruit-flavoured beverages usually need an emulsifier because the flavouring ingredient in these drinks tends to be an oil-based compound. The emulsifier prevents the flavouring oil from separating out and floating on top of the water. It also means that the drink will have a consistent taste from start to finish.
Small amounts of vitamins
Depending on the product, different ingredients are added – typically a selection of vitamins and some minerals such as magnesium, potassium or zinc – minerals which occur naturally in water in any way.
The name of the drink hints at the intended benefits. For example, if you see the word “energy”, a range of B-vitamins and guarana might be added. A product with “multi-vitamin” in its name, will generally have several vitamins added, as well as some minerals.
The Bottom Line
The main fluid you use for hydration should still be water, not water with colouring, sugar and artificial flavourings added. The quantity of vitamins and minerals you would get from drinking a bottle of flavoured water isn’t worth the additives that tag along.
If you are environmentally conscious, drinking plain water in a reusable water bottle generates less waste than many plastic bottles of flavoured water.
The Slender Wonder diet plan is nutritionally balanced to ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals you need from the foods you eat. Drinking a bottle of flavoured water cannot replace eating fresh fruit and vegetables, which contain far more nutrients than flavoured water and, of course, fibre as well. In fact, research is finding that it is the synergy among all the different phytonutrients and vitamins/minerals within plant foods that matters more, rather than any individual vitamin or mineral.
Tips to increase water intake
Make water accessible
Get yourself a filter system or fill a jug and keep it somewhere where you can see it.
Plan ahead
Whether you know you’re going to be out and about or sitting in meetings, take your re-usable bottle with you.
Turn up the flavour
If you find drinking water a little boring, add some lemon, cucumber or mint to it for extra flavour.
Put the kettle on
Different strokes for different folksm some like it hot and some like it cold.
Remember, remember
Sometimes, we simply just forget. Set a reminder on your phone, an alarm in your home or add it to your calendar. However you remind yourself, just don’t forget to grab a glass!