Store-bought water is hugely popular now for a variety of reasons -- from getting away from contaminants…to convenience. But there are so many options! How do you know which one to turn to? A health and wellness expert walks us through which ones are best for us.
WHICH STORE-BOUGHT WATER IS YOUR FAVORITE?
There’s a virtual sea of selection, and many of us have our favorites.
“Fiji," said Rena Smith. Why? "Because of the taste. It's very smooth. It never fails me. It always tastes the same."
Karl Reed has been drinking Dasani for years. “It’s about convenience. And I just like the way it tastes.”
And newer options are trying to make a splash in the market, too, like Qure alkaline water, which reportedly has a 10 pH level. It’s just now popping up on store shelves in Michigan this year.
Of course, when you walk down the water aisle in any given grocery store you see flavored water, sparkling water, even caffeinated water!
"The most popular caffeinated water we sell has about 90 milligrams of caffeine," said Jon Handelsman -- co-owner of Better Health Market.
Handlesman said Better Health Market's best-selling water – by far – is Essense Alkaline Water.
ALKALINE WATER
And there are a host of options out there for Alkaline water fans.
But is Alkaline water right for you?
“If our body is out of pH balance, it makes sense to buy Alkaline water. But many of us do not have that issue. So, it's a bit of a waste of money," said Birmingham health and wellness expert Cassie Sobelton.
Sobelton said if you’re not sure what your pH balance is, you can buy pH strips to test yourself. If your body is not in balance, she said alkaline waters are a healthy option.
STEAM DISTILLED WATER
What about steam distilled water – like Absopure from Michigan? Sobelton said steam distilled water has been boiled to remove toxins. But take note!
“Typically, it’s municipal water. So, it’s just city water that’s gone through a reverse osmosis or steam distilled process to take out the toxins,” explained Sobelton.
I asked if that water would be similar to what you get after putting a filter on the sink faucet…and she said, “You got it!”
WATER WITH ELECTROLYTES
And how about all those waters with electrolytes added?
“You can also accomplish the same thing by putting Himalayan sea salt into your water," said Sobelton with a smile.
Her water of choice is Artesian – a.k.a. spring water.
SPRING WATER
“If you think about what spring water does, it actually goes through mountains. It runs through hills. It’s picking up minerals and nutrients that we need in our body. If it’s from let’s say Detroit, it might not have the same opportunity to get those minerals and nutrients. That’s why Artesian might be a better choice when you’re looking at spring waters,” she said.
And when she buys spring water, she opts not to buy any in plastic bottles.
She goes for spring water in glass bottles – like VOSS Artesian Water.
“When we have water in plastics, the temperature changes can actually cause for leakage of chemicals in water,” Sobelton said.
If buying glass bottles is not convenient or cost-effect for your budget, she said buying spring water in plastic bottles is your next best option.
Just remember not to drink from the plastic bottles if they’ve been left in a hot car or have endured a significant temperature change.
Of course, you can always go for the cardboard carton option straight from Grand Rapids, Michigan – Purified Boxed Water. It’s an environmentally friendly way to hydrate.
If you have a health and wellness question or success story you'd like to share, email Alicia Smith at alicia.smith@wxyz.com with "Living A Better Life" in the subject line.
