Your Dietitian: Fortified flavored water: Hype or healthy?

In 2021, global sales of flavored water reached $17.2 billion. By 2026, sales are estimated to reach an astounding $36.7 billion, according to Market Data Forecast. The popularity of flavored water is growing by leaps and bounds as people become more health conscious. So, what's in these fortified flavored waters? And do they really deliver superior health? It is important to know what you are buying, especially if it is going into your body and can affect your health. So, let's examine three things: first, what's in these bottled, fortified flavored waters; second, if we really need what's added to them; and finally, if they make us healthier after drinking them. Health claims Ads for flavored, fortified water promise to deliver superior hydration, improved metabolism, increased energy and/or a stronger immune system. These are marketing ploys to sell water at a much higher price. Hydration So, what is hydration? It's simply adding water. (This is the opposite of dehydration, which is the lack of water.) Most people need about 8 cups of liquid per day to stay hydrated. These 8 cups can come from a variety of sources: coffee, tea, milk or other liquids. We also get water from food. For example, most fruits contain at least 80 percent water, along with naturally occurring electrolytes such as potassium. Thus, you don't need jazzed-up water to stay hydrated. Make your own If you dislike plain tap water, make your own flavor-infused water. Simply add a few slices of fruit to it for flavoring — such as lemon, orange or lime slices. There is also cucumber and mint or even mashed ripe mango. Or, add a splash of orange juice. Try keeping a pitcher of this water in your refrigerator. When you go out, fill a refillable water bottle. The plastic bottles from fortified flavored waters contaminate our oceans and streams. So besides being much less expensive, it's better for our environment. Antioxidants There is a health halo around the word antioxidants. Companies add a bit of vitamin C to a product and claim it's good for immune health. It is. However, people misinterpret this as saying it will give them a stronger immune system and somehow help prevent a cold or other viral infection. While vitamin C is needed for our immune system, it has not been shown to prevent a cold, cancer or any medical condition. We need much more than just vitamin C for a strong immune system. Sleep, exercise and daily eating a healthy diet filled with lots of fruits, vegetables and fiber-rich foods builds a stronger immune system — not merely drinking some fortified water. There is no shortcut. Plus, isolated nutrients, such as vitamin C, do not work the same as when they are obtained from whole fruits and vegetables. Fruits, vegetables and green tea contain hundreds of different plant nutrients (called phytonutrients) that work together to produce health benefits. Nutrients never work alone. For example, an orange contains more than 170 different nutrients besides vitamin C. Unneeded B-vitamins Vitamin-fortified water may sound like a good idea. Slick marketing implies there is a need for extra B vitamins when there is not. Most Americans are not vitamin deficient. White flour in the U.S. is enriched with the B vitamins thiamin, niacin, riboflavin and folic acid. So, foods made with flour, such as pasta, bread, crackers, muffins, etc., contain plenty of B vitamins. Plus, if you take a multivitamin, you are getting even more B vitamins. Thus, the average American doesn't need the large doses of B vitamins in these fortified flavored waters. In addition, since B vitamins are water soluble, excess B vitamins are simply excreted in the urine. Dangers of excess B vitamins Some fortified, flavored waters contain 150 percent of the recommended intake for B vitamins. More is not better when it comes to nutrition. For example, large doses of folate can mask a vitamin B12 deficiency — which can cause permanent nerve damage. (Luckily, most fortified water also contains B12. Be sure to check the label.) Interestingly, as the kidneys are trying to excrete the excess B vitamin niacin, it can fail to excrete uric acid — which can build up and trigger an acute gout attack. Doses over 100 milligrams of niacin may cause this. So, if you do drink fortified flavored water, do not drink more than four (12 ounce) bottles per day — or less if you take a multivitamin. Metabolism and weight loss B vitamins are used in the body to metabolize or break down starches and protein. Getting extra B vitamins in fortified waters will not increase your metabolism nor help you lose weight. Since B vitamins are water soluble, our body does not store them to use them when we eat starchy foods. So, if fortified water is drunk between meals, the body doesn't even use the B vitamins (with the exception of vitamin B12, which is stored in the liver). Electrolytes Companies tout how their fortified flavored waters are superior for hydrating because they contain electrolytes. This claim is aimed at people who profusely sweat after strenuously working out. Sweat is primarily water with small amounts of the electrolytes sodium, chloride (salt), potassium, calcium and magnesium. According to Lawrence Armstrong, director of Human Performance Laboratory at the University of Connecticut, even though your body is losing a little sodium and some other things as you sweat, water alone will rehydrate you. Most adults don't exercise strenuously enough to need an electrolyte-fortified water or sports drink; good, old-fashioned water will hydrate you. He states the amount of liquid drunk is the important thing. If flavored water increases your intake of water, drink that. Otherwise, regular water will do the trick. So, if you're not exercising, you don't need the extra electrolytes in bottled fortified waters. Americans get plenty of sodium and chloride, otherwise known as salt, in our foods. Potassium, calcium and magnesium are found in many of the foods we eat — and, in milk Milk: the superior recovery drink Studies have found that milk is the ideal recovery drink after exercise. Milk is 87 percent water and naturally contains sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium and magnesium — the electrolytes artificially added to fortified flavored water. A 2016 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that milk was more hydrating than water, sports drinks, coffee, tea and several other common beverages (after a workout). So, after going to the gym, try drinking a glass of milk. Most Americans get twice the amount of sodium (salt) they need and only half the amount of recommended potassium. For a refreshing, hydrating drink, try making a banana smoothie made with milk. It's rich in potassium, protein, calcium and magnesium. Seminar canceled Due to COVID-19, the Domonkas library has canceled my seminar titled "Cooking for One or Two" scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday. I apologize for any inconvenience. No date has been given for when it may be rescheduled. Phyllis J. Molnar is a registered and licensed dietitian who writes about food and health for The Chronicle-Telegram and The Gazette. Email her at pjmolnar56@gmail.com. Banana smoothie drink • 1 large ripe banana (Peel, slice and freeze for a thicker, colder drink) • 1 cup milk • 1½ to 2 teaspoons sugar, depending on ripeness/sweetness of banana (May use stevia or another sweetener in place of sugar) •½ teaspoon vanilla extract Optional topping: A dash of cinnamon 1. Place all ingredients (except cinnamon) in a blender. Cover tightly and blend until smooth. 2. Pour into two tall glasses. If desired, sprinkle a dash of cinnamon on top. Serve immediately. Makes: 2 servings Variations: • Strawberry-banana smoothie: Add 4 to 6 frozen strawberries and if desired, a couple of ice cubes. • Chocolate banana smoothie: Use frozen sliced banana and a spoonful of unsweetened cocoa powder. SOURCE: tasteofhome.com