Food Safety | Is “high-end water” really “high-end”? See its true face

Some time ago, the media exposed the chaos in the marketing of alkaline water, and the alkaline water scam was exposed. But in addition to the mineral water and purified water we drink daily, there are many expensive waters on the market, such as oxygen-rich water, enzyme sparkling water, baby water, etc. These "high-end waters" are claimed by merchants to have functions such as weight loss, stomach nourishment, sleep aid, and anti-oxidation, and the prices have also risen accordingly. So, are these "high-end waters" really "high-end" than ordinary water?

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Good value for money or a "tax on IQ"?

Many mothers in the community like to buy "baby water" to mix milk powder. In addition to its emphasis on sterility and high-quality water sources, the merchants focus on the concept of "light mineralization". The reason is that the immune system and metabolic system of infants and young children are not fully developed, and too high a mineral content in the water will be detrimental to the health of the baby.

Experts say that excessive intake of minerals and salt will indeed have an impact on infants and young children's bodies. However, drinking water is not the main way for infants and young children to obtain trace elements. They mainly rely on diet, so even if there are certain trace elements in the water, it will not have much impact on their health. The World Health Organization recommends that drinking water suitable for infant feeding should contain: sodium ≤ 20 mg/L, sulfate ≤ 200 mg/L, and magnesium ≤ 40 mg/L. Even if the mineral content in "baby water" is indeed a little lower, the difference can be ignored after adding a spoonful of milk powder.

In addition, there is currently no quality standard for "baby water" in the national standard. Some "baby water" still meets the standards for drinking natural water or natural mineral water.

"The various types of water we drink are just to obtain the ingredient water itself, and we do not obtain some 'magic' ingredients advertised by merchants along with the 'water'. We can get more nutrients by consuming natural foods than the doses of nutrients claimed by merchants to be contained in the water." Gu Zhongyi said that when merchants promote functions, it is pseudoscience.

How to drink water scientifically in daily life?

For water intake, it is recommended to drink boiled water. If you feel that boiled water is bland, you can try making tea. Adults who live in mild climates and do light physical activities should drink 1500-1700 ml of water a day, which is the amount of 7-8 cups of water. This amount of water can meet the lubrication of joints, the delivery of nutrients to the human body, and the stability of blood volume and blood pressure. If you love sports, or engage in physical labor, have a lot of activity, sweat a lot, or have vomiting, diarrhea, etc., you need to increase your water intake appropriately.

Of course, drinking more water is not necessarily better. You can drink 200 to 300 ml at a time. If the water intake exceeds the body's needs and the kidneys' excretion capacity, it will be retained in the body, causing new problems. Especially for patients with renal failure, heart failure, nephrotic syndrome and other diseases who need to limit their fluid intake, they should adjust their daily water intake according to the doctor's advice.

Expert: Gu Zhongyi, Director of Beijing Nutritionist Association and Beijing Nutrition Society