Vitamin Water & Enhanced Water
A Brand New Water World
by Sylvie Greil
The entire world depends on water to survive, whether it's from a well, a river, or a bottle. But in cosmopolitan areas in the U.S. like Los Angeles and New York, water is more than the key to life — in these cities, the brand of water you drink says a lot about you. Water has become a fashion accessory, a statement. Do you like Fiji, because the bottle is so pretty? Or do you go for so-called enhanced water, which purports to do more than
simply wet your whistle? There's a whole sea of
new options, from rap-star inspired H2O that delivers
"fiddy" percent of your daily vitamins, to weight-loss water
to spiritual water.
Bottoms up!
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ACTIVATE Drinks
The line of vitamin-enhanced flavored waters features a cap that releases a powdered supplement upon opening. ACTIVATE comes in four varieties: Vitamin, in a fruit punch flavor; Immunity, which combines vitamins with echinacea in an orange flavor; the berry-flavored Antioxidant; and the lemon-lime Energy, which includes caffeine, creatine and assorted vitamins. Each bottle of ACTIVATE contains only five calories and zero sugar. Read our full review here.
Glacéau
Vitaminwater
Vitaminwater,
introduced by Glaceau in 2000, is nutrient-enhanced
H20 with vitamins, electrolytes and performance boosters
such as bioenergy ribose. This sports drink alternative
literally tastes like what it promises: semi-sweet fruit
water with vitamins. It’s a good substitute for
sodas and sugar-laden fruit juices, as it’s relatively
low in calories, and chockfull of nutrients, from Vitamins
C and B to guarana, ginseng and magnesium. Flavors include
vital-t, balance, power-c and formula 50, named after
the rapper 50 Cent. Glaceau is also the creator of SmartWater. www.drinkbetterwater.com
Penta
Bio
Hydration Research Lab and AquaPhotonics, its makers
and distributors, claim that their “ultra clean”
purified drinking water has a different chemical structure
than regular water, which gives Penta a higher boiling
point, higher surface tension and lower viscosity. Penta
starts as Carlsbad, Calif. city water, and then undergoes
a patented, eleven-hour, thirteen-step purification
process. To counter claims of being pseudoscientific,
the Penta masterminds list studies concluding that Penta
hydrates the body 16.7 times faster than other bottled
water. You be the judge. www.pentawater.com
Kabbalah Mountain Spring Water
Madonna’s
thirst quencher of choice, this water hails from
unidentified Canadian and U.S. springs. It is blessed
and prayed over in an attempt to create crystalline
structures in the water to enhance the consciousness
of parched souls. The spiritually enhanced water
is available at Kabbalah Centers around the U.S. This product is no longer available.
Liquid OM Water
A
newcomer on the enhanced water scene, Liquid OM is said
to provide balancing energy through the vibration of
the universe. Their patent pending process is based
on the principles of sound therapy used to attune purified
water to the frequency of the earth. The theory is that
the vibration of the sound “Om” (a favorite
mantra of yogis), when applied to water, creates a “better
water.” A portion of sales is donated to the National
Geographic Society and Global Water to support social
and environmental causes. www.liquidom.org
Sanfaustino
Dubbed
“the calcium water,” sparkling Sanfaustino
table water is manufactured in Umbria, Italy, where
it’s sourced from slightly effervescent water
naturally high in the important mineral. It is the first
water recognized by the National Osteoporosis Foundation
to have therapeutic effects such as improving bone health
and preventing osteoporosis — it carries the "Friend
of NOF" symbol. Augmented with minerals, eight
glasses provide eighty percent of the adult RDA for
calcium. In fact, even the FDA officially considers
it a good source of calcium. www.sanfaustino.com
Nestlé
Pure Life Purified Water
Of
course, the largest bottled water company in the United
States also hopped onto the enhanced water ride. Nestlé
Waters North America, the company that brought Perrier
to the U.S. in 1976, offers Nestlé Pure Life
Purified Water, which is spiked with calcium chloride,
sodium bicarbonate and magnesium sulfate. Curiously,
they have discontinued their spring water Pure Life
line. They also put out Nestlé Pure Life Natural
Fruit Flavored Water, which is mildly flavored with
fruit and sweetened with SPLENDA. www.nestle-purelife.us
P052606 |
(Updated: 09/24/12 DL) |
