Bottled Water: Does it Really Matter Which Type You Drink?

Since the introduction of bottled water such as mineral water and distilled water, many people are already patronizing this product thinking they are better off drinking bottled water than tap water. And among the many types of bottled water, some people also have special preferences like purified or mineral water.

There are different types of bottled water being sold in the market today. And it is important for us to have an idea what each type of bottled water has to offer. Each type may have a different taste and content which can be used as a determining factor on which one you should choose.

Distilled Water

Distilled water undergoes a distillation process to remove all impurities that may be present in water. The distillation process could involve boiling and neutralizing of any harmful bacteria. Because of the processes involved in its preparation, distilled water can be considered cleaner that other types of bottled water. Its major drawback, however, is that it also lacks all the necessary minerals that can be found in other types of water as they are also eliminated in the distillation process.

Deionized Water

Also known as demineralized water, deionized water is closely similar to distilled water in that all the impurities that can be present in the water are eliminated as mineral ions are removed. In the process, some important nutrients and minerals are also removed like calcium.

Flavored Water

Flavored water is popularly known as nutrient-added water. It is bottled water that has added taste, minerals and nutrients. Many people drink this as a substitute for sugar-rich energy drinks, soft drinks, and juices. However, before drinking this type of water, it is important that you read the label first as some brands may contain a significant amount of sugar which could outweigh the nutritional contents of the water. Some brands even have higher sugar content than regular soda drinks and others also contain calories.

Mineral Water

Mineral water is obtained from natural spring sources. The FDA in the US classifies a bottled water as mineral water when it has a least 250 parts per million of total dissolved solids. The minerals it contains must also be present from the source and not added in the preparation process. The good thing about mineral water is it contains a significant amount of minerals which our body needs.

Sparkling Water

Sparkling water is a well or spring water known for its bubbly and fizzy characteristics. This is a result of the natural dissolved carbon dioxide it contains which creates carbonation. Sparkling water is the main ingredient for making sodas. Sparkling water may contain the attributes of its water source like sparkling spring water could have the attributes of bottled spring water, and so on.

Spring Water

Spring water is perhaps one of the most popular types of bottled water. The FDA classifies spring water as water obtained directly from a spring or through boring a hole from the spring’s underground water source. Spring water may contain minerals and nutrients such as calcium, fluoride, and potassium which are not present in other types of bottled water.

It does matter which type of bottled water you drink considering the different characteristics and nutritional value of each. So next time you drink your bottled water, read the label first so that you will know what type of bottled water it is and what nutritional value you can get from it.