We all know how important it is to stay hydrated, and water is the best choice to provide your body with a sufficient supply of fluids. But sometimes it can get tiresome to choose.
This is where the idea of vitamin-infused drinks as another alternative comes into play. You get a more flavorful alternative to water, with added nutrients. But is it all it’s hyped up to be? Is vitamin water good for you and is it a better option than water? Read on to find out.
What Is Vitamin Water?
Image source: Pinterest
As the name suggests, vitamin water is water infused with vitamins like vitamins B and C, minerals, and antioxidants. Most vitamin water manufacturers claim to not use regular sugar, and instead, cane sugar, erythritol, and stevia are used as sweeteners.
One of the most popular vitamin water today is Vitaminwater manufactured by none other than Coca-Cola, although there are various other brands offering the same concept.
Vitamin water promises additional health benefits aside from keeping your body hydrated. It is also usually infused with natural flavors and colors to give some variety to your regular water-drinking experience.
Is Vitamin Water Good for You?
While vitamin water is refreshing and provides the necessary hydration you need with an added boost of flavor, it typically has too much sugar content to ignore. It should be a huge red flag, especially for those with pre-existing medical conditions.
It is common knowledge that too much sugar can lead to serious health conditions. The sugar content of vitamin water far outweighs the benefits of vitamins and minerals you can get from it.
Given the potential for long-term risks, it is ideal to keep vitamin water only as an occasional treat.
Is Vitamin Water a Good Water Substitute?
Image source: Pinterest
As plain and boring as water might be, nothing beats it when it comes to hydrating your body.
Water is a non-negotiable part of living. It helps your organs function properly, supports the delivery of oxygen throughout your entire body, and maintains the lubrication of your joints.
Water is the only liquid that can regulate your body temperature, improve your overall health, and even positively affect your skin. It supports every organ in your body, from your brain to your digestive system.
Vitamin water, on the other hand, cannot do half of what water can accomplish. It is a nice treat to have now and then. But you should always supplement it to your daily water intake.
Does Vitamin Water Actually Hydrate You?
Vitamin water is intended to hydrate you, and most of the time, and it does that job pretty well.
It can help your body and its organs function as they should because it has a water component. However, given the fact that some vitamin waters have excessive sugar and even caffeine, it can actually cause dehydration.
Pros and Cons of Vitamin Water
Image source: Pinterest
Pros
1. Flavor Options
Every once in a while, something citrusy or sweet can often be a welcome break from your regular water. And the different natural flavors infused in vitamin water can motivate you to drink more, knowing that you have options to choose from. Every taste can provide you with a new delicious and refreshing experience.
2. Fill Nutritional Gaps
If you have nutritional gaps in your daily diet, drinking vitamin water can be more convenient than resorting to different vitamin supplements. Sorting through different multivitamins or superfood boosters can be a huge hassle.
Cons
1. Risk of Excessive Sugar and Potential Health Risks
Most popular brands of vitamin waters like Vitaminwater tend to use a combination of crystalline fructose and sucrose (or cane sugar) as the primary sweetener. This is almost pure fructose and can be very harmful to your health when consumed in excess. It can lead to weight gain and a higher risk of developing obesity and other health problems.
2. Unnecessary Nutrients
Although vitamin waters are advertised as water with vitamins B and C and small doses of vitamins A and E, these vitamins are not lacking in a person’s diet. Even if you add minerals like chromium, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and zinc, an excess of these vitamins and minerals has no bearing.
Your body will not keep these extra vitamins and minerals. Instead, they will just be excreted via urine. The vitamins and minerals that could have been added instead are B12 and folate because these are the common ones lacking in most people.
You also have to consider that getting all these nutrients from vitamin water with all the sugar in it will be counterproductive. It would be better to just take the supplements you are deficient in combined with implementing healthier eating habits.
3. Too Much Causes Harm
More is not necessarily better, and this is the same principle that applies to the consumption of vitamins and minerals.
Given that part of a good diet is having a balanced diet, over-supplementing with vitamins and minerals from vitamin water is not recommended as a higher intake of vitamins and minerals can reach harmful levels in your body and trigger health complications.
4. Pricey Dehydration
Vitamin water is definitely more expensive than regular water. And while it may taste more refreshing and delicious, you can make your own “flavored water” by adding cucumber slices or a lemon rind to plain water. Why welcome the unnecessary expense when you can get everything and more with regular water?
