Better than Plain Water? Washing Away the Beverage Marketing Hype
By Dan DeBaunShare
Here at Big Berkey Water Filters, we think water should be your beverage of choice most of the time. We explained why SmartWater, and bottled water in general, isn't all that smart. We've also questioned energy drinks and explained why drinking soda more than very occasionally is a bad idea too. But what about other beverages touted as healthy or all natural, some of which even use the word "water" in their label?
Vitamin Water
Essentially synthetic vitamins, sugar, and artificial colors and flavors dissolved in water, the nutritional label does make Vitamin Water seem like a better choice than soda. But is it?
Emily Playscello of Fit Sugar did the math. The nutritional claims on the Vitamin Water label are based on serving size. Since most people probably drink the whole 2.5-serving bottle at once, that calculation is more important. "[O]ne bottle of Vitamin Water contains 125 calories and 33 grams of sugar. (Remind me again why they try to call this a form of "water"?) That's more calories and sugar than a 12 ounce serving of Coke . . . Now, Coke contains high fructose corn syrup and is not fortified, but nutritionally, you're still getting sugar and calories from both drinks."
Coconut Water
Often advertised as an all-natural, low sugar alternative to sports drinks with healing properties far beyond exercise recovery, some nutritionists warn that coconut water isn't all it's cracked up to be. Coconut water is the liquid found in a young coconut and is often served fresh in the coconut in tropical climates. For those of us in more temperate locales, the coconut water is harvested, pasteurized, bottled, and shipped.
As far as calories and sugar goes, coconut water is a better choice than soda or other high sugar beverages (64.5 calories/15 g sugar per 12 ounce serving compared to 110 cal/30 g sugar for soda). But since it can be an acquired taste, many beverage makers blend it with juice, which naturally increases the sugar and calorie content. Reporters Katherine Hobson and Angela Haupt compared plain coconut water by Zico with Gatorade for USNews & World Report:
Gatorade: 6.25 calories, 1.75 grams sugar, 3.75 mg potassium, 13.75 mg sodium
(plain) Zico: 5.45 calories, 1.3 grams sugar, 61 mg potassium, 5.45 mg sodium
From a sugar and calories perspective, Zico seems to be a slightly better choice, but, say Hobson and Haupt, if you are rehydrating from exercise, you actually want the sodium in Gatorade more than the potassium in coconut water.
Zico doesn't offer coconut water/juice blends. Their flavored varieties are just that: flavored. So let's look at a competitor's offering:
Vita Coco Coconut Water with Pineapple: 7.06 calories, 1.9 grams sugar, 61 mg potassium, 3.6 mg sodium.
If you drink the entire 17 ounce bottle of Vita Coco, that's 120 calories, slightly more than the same-size serving of Gatorade.
Sports Drinks
Powerade, Gatorade, and sports recovery drink relatives have poured significant research funds into developing that most palatable beverage that delivers the quickest electrolyte replenishment along with hydration.
The biggest problem with sports drinks is that most people don't need them; they don't exercise hard enough to need to electrolyte replenishment or even burn enough calories to offset the beverage. Unless you are exercising hard for more than 90 minutes, sports drinks do no better than water in most hydration studies.
Sports beverages are still basically processed sugar, salts, artificial flavor, and color. If you do need sugar/electrolyte boost and those ingredients don't sit well with you, a handful of salted pretzels with your water before or after exercise also provides easily digestible carbohydrates and sodium.
Drink Water
Your Berkey filtered water continues to be the winner for hydration and health. If you like your filtered water flavored, try adding a squeeze of lemon, a slice of fresh ginger, a few peppermint leaves, or even an herbal tea bag (yes, it works with cold water). Taking your Sport Berkey or other water bottle in the morning before you head out is a good way to both; keep drinking water, and staying away from unhealthy sports drinks and other sugary beverages.
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Dan DeBaun
Dan DeBaun is the owner and operator of Big Berkey Water Filters. Prior to Berkey, Dan was an asset manager for a major telecommunications company. He graduated from Rutgers with an undergraduate degree in industrial engineering, followed by an MBA in finance from Rutgers as well. Dan enjoys biohacking, exercising, meditation, beach life, and spending time with family and friends.
~ The Owner of Big Berkey Water Filters