BOTTLED WATER: Full of Health or Full of Hype?

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Article Title:

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BOTTLED WATER: Full of Health or Full of Hype?

Article Description:

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Is this often high-priced commodity (water) really the best choice

when it comes to fulfilling our daily H2O quota? Or has over half

the population fallen prey to yet another marketing extravaganza?

Additional Article Information:

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Distribution Date and Time: Fri Feb 10 04:16:37 EST 2006

Written By: Hayford, C.N.C.

Copyright: 2006

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BOTTLED WATER: Full of Health or Full of Hype?

Copyright © 2006 Hayford, C.N.C.

Award-winning author, " If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It! "

http://www.FoodFitnessByPhone.com

" Drink plenty of water " is a phrase indelibly imprinted on each

of our minds, constantly reminding us of the necessity of this

life-sustaining gift of nature.

Gone are the days of filling up a canteen at the side of a

pristine running stream, however. Clear plastic bottles sporting

designer names and labels are most people's choice today.

In fact, the bottled water industry has become the fastest

growing segment of the overall beverage industry. Sales have

tripled in the last decade and now exceed over $7 billion per

year worldwide. Fifty-four percent of all Americans drink bottled

water.

But is this often high-priced commodity really the best choice

when it comes to fulfilling our daily H2O quota? Or has over half

the population fallen prey to yet another marketing extravaganza?

As a nutritional consultant I have long been asked these

questions. Unfortunately, there is not a simple yes or no answer.

There are multiple factors to consider in order to make wise,

informed decisions.

First, there are a few basic categories or types of bottled water

available on the market today (see descriptions), each of which

usually has one or another purported health benefits associated

with it. Whether or not the health benefits associated with these

types of water are valid or not, is the topic of much debate

among health professionals with no definitive answers.

Regardless of any potential health benefits that may be

associated with any given type of bottled water, the most

important thing for people to know is that all brands are not

created equal.

Although there are pure, high quality bottled waters available,

discerning the good guys from the bad can be dicey business. Due

to substandard and challenging government regulations, what it

says on the label outside the bottle is not always what's inside.

For example, a study done by the Natural Resources Defense

Council (NRDC) found that an estimated 25% of bottled water

tested is really just tap water in a bottle!

In another example, last year 500,000 liters of Coca-Cola's

Dasani brand water was recalled in Britain due to high levels of

bromate, a carcinogenic chemical. Pathogens can also be a problem

as the NDRC further reports that one-fifth of the bottled waters

tested exceeded unenforceable state or industry bacteria

guidelines.

Other concerns voiced by those in opposition to the proliferation

of this industry include: the 1.5 million tons of plastic used

for bottling and the toxic chemicals that can be released into

the environment during this process; possible consumption of the

toxic chemicals that may leach into the water from the plastic

bottles in which the water is contained; and the enormous amount

of resources expended in the overall production, packaging and

transportation of bottled waters.

All things considered, in conjunction with the NDRC, I will

continue to recommend water filtered at the source either through

a quality in-home filtration system or one available at most

natural foods stores, as the safest and usually most economical

overall drinking water for daily consumption.

_____________________________________________

TYPES OF BOTTLED WATER

The Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) product definitions for

bottled water are:

Purified Water:

Produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other

suitable processes (see glossary).

Drinking Water:

Water sold for human consumption in sanitary containers that

contains no added sweeteners or chemical additives (other

than flavors, extracts or essences that do not exceed

one-percent-by-weight of the final product). Must be

calorie-free and sugar-free.

Artesian Water / Artesian Well Water:

Bottled water from a well in which water is tapped from a

confined aquifer (permeable stratum of rock overlaid by

impermeable rock).

Spring Water:

Water that flows naturally to the earth's surface from an

underground formation without the aid of drilling or pumps.

Mineral Water:

Contains not less than 250 parts per million total dissolved

solids (mineral and trace elements) collected naturally by

passing through various layers of earth and rock to the well

or spring. No minerals added.

Sparkling Water:

Naturally carbonated water (i.e. contains the same amount of

carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source,

after treatment and possible replacement with carbon dioxide.)

Note: soda water, seltzer water and tonic water may contain

sugar and calories, and are considered soft drinks, not

bottled water.

_____________________________________________

BOTTLED WATER TESTING

How does your favorite brand of water measure up? The National

Resources Defense Council provides objective information on

bottled water and has a study listing contaminants found in

various brands. You can view the study at

www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/appa.asp

For a water analysis provided by leading bottlers, visit

www.bottledwaterweb.com.

_____________________________________________

GLOSSARY OF LABELING TERMS:

Reading the labels on bottled water can be wrought with

confusion. Here's a list of some of the most commonly used

terms to help sort things out:

Carbonation: saturation with carbon dioxide.

Under pressure, the gas in water becomes carbonic acid.

Charcoal filter:

device for removing dissolved gasses, such as chlorine,

from purified water.

Deionized or Demineralized:

process of reducing water to a non-mineral state by passing

it over a bed of resins. Generally, deionized water is

considered of higher quality than distilled water and is

more economical to produce.

Distilled:

purified by passing through an evaporation-condensation

cycle that removes most dissolved solids (minerals).

Filtration:

a naturally occurring or artificial process in which water

passes through filters and is depleted of certain minerals

and other elements.

Ionization:

a process whereby ions are separated and/or exchanged

Municipal water:

water supplied by a city for public use, otherwise know as

tap water.

Ozonization:

a method of sanitizing water by using ozone which is made by

forcing compressed air through a high voltage arc into the

water.

Reverse osmosis:

process by which water is reduced to a non-mineral state by

passing through a plastic membrane under pressure, which

separates the water from other elements.

Ultraviolet ray:

invisible rays beyond the violet end of the visible spectrum

used to kill pathogens.

_____________________________________________

FRUIT AND VITAMIN WATER

One of the growing trends in bottled water is fruit- and vitamin-

enhanced waters. They sound like an easy way to pack in more

fruit and vitamins into your day, but they don't provide any true

health benefits. The quality of these products is based on the

quality of the water and the substances added. Consumers seem

better off with a natural mineral water, than drinking isolated

nutrients.

Fruit waters should not be considered as a substitute for

drinking water. They are officially categorized as beverages by

the FDA and should be treated accordingly. As with any beverages,

sugar content should be taken into account. Keeping in mind that

4 grams=1 teaspoon of sugar can be helpful when making wise

choices.

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Hayford, C.N.C., is the award-winning author of

" If It's Not Food, Don't Eat It! " As a former junk food

junkie turned nutrition and health coach she has helped

thousands reverse dis-ease, and restore their health,

energy and natural weight. For tips, talks and teleclasses

on healthy eating and holistic self-care, visit:

http://www.FoodFitnessByPhone.com or call 303.746.8970