US nutritionists have advised consumers to think twice before purchasing and drinking premium bottled water. They basically affirmed one of William Shakespeare's most legendary lines: "a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
No Better Than Regular Water
Allison Childress, a nutritional sciences professor at Texas Tech University, told The Guardian that the health benefits of premium bottled water, which boasts of "vitamin-rich ingredients," is minimal at best. While they aren't innately harmful in nature, they aren't considerably better than regular drinking water either.
"As far as them being more hydrating, that's not the case," said Childress. "I don't necessarily think it's harmful or hurtful, but I don't think it necessarily works the way they say it works."
Georgia Tech physiology instructor Michael Sawka shares the same opinion. He argued that most of the added minerals in premium bottled water are for taste purposes, not health. "If you're eating a normal diet, you're not adding anything magic," he quipped.
Bottled and Tap Water Are The Same
With regards to which is the healthier option, there has yet to be a clear winner between bottled or tap water. Food Safety pointed out that the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency has been equally stringent in maintaining the safety and quality of both bottled and tap water.
It doesn't' matter if it runs down the drain or packaged neatly at convenience stores. Both bottled and tap water offer a fair amount of advantages and disadvantages.
Mae Wu, a chemical engineer and attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council, reminded people to not get complacent, especially with bottled water. People shouldn't assume any kind of bottled water is better just because it has a branding and is being sold at stores.
"I don't know of any health benefits of bottled water but I do know of many adverse consequences on the environment and on climate," commented Joseph Graziano, a professor of environmental health sciences at Columbia University. "The production of one bottle of water requires a third of a bottle of oil to produce it."
According to the International Bottled Water Association, bottled water is the second most lucrative commercial beverage category in the US, trailing only to carbonated soft drinks. Milk and beer are at the 3rd and 4th spots.
