The latest craze of flavored water reached a new level this week when a Whole Foods store placed three stalks of asparagus in water and threw a $6 price tag on the side. Shortly after, they admitted the product was a mistake.
But the episode did raise the question: are any of these flavored waters actually better for you than what comes from the tap? The Guardian spoke to nutritionists and the consensus seemed to be that adding fruit or vegetables gave “slight benefits”, and some additions are superior to others.
Leslie Bonci, a sports nutrition consultant based in Pittsburgh, said people have added everything to water, including artichokes, maple and now, asparagus. “Everyone is always looking for something new. Water alone isn’t good enough anymore,” she said. “We know we need water, but it becomes boring.”
Although Bonci supports people keeping hydrated, she said asparagus in water at $6 a bottle is probably not the best way to go about it. “If someone wants to eat asparagus they should, but the amount you put in the water has to be minimal, and you don’t necessarily improve the nutritional value of what you’re drinking,” she said. “To get the benefit [of asparagus] you need half a cup, and no way you’re getting it out of the three pieces.”
Nutritionist Dr Janet Brill , meanwhile, likes the trend for flavored water. “As far as putting healthy fruits and vegetables in the water, that’s a fabulous idea because yes, some– probably not very much – but some of the fiber chemicals are going to reach out into the water so you will be getting a slight benefit over plain water,” she said.
While Brill argued that “there’s nothing wrong with throwing asparagus spears in your water”, she also thinks people are “nuts” for spending the amount they do on such products. She recommended water bottles that allow people to place fruits or vegetables in their water themselves.
Brill said strawberries, citrus and lemon juice were probably better options than asparagus because when squeezed, they are definitely releasing vitamins into the water. She also recommends water with fresh fruits or vegetables rather than water flavored through other means. Those, she says, will probably not contain as many nutrients as water with the real fruits and vegetables in it.
Other flavored waters, such as detox beverages that involve soaking citrus fruits and ginger in water can be beneficial, Bonci said. These drinks can be prepared in the same amount of time and for a fraction of the cost of buying the bottled water, she said.
Alexis Newman, a nutritionist based near Philadelphia, said adding fruits and vegetables to water mostly aids in enhancing the water’s flavor, although it can provide some nutrients. “Ideally you’re supposed to get half your body weight in ounces of water, and for some people that’s really hard, so if you have some fruit flavor, it’s easier to get it,” Newman said. “Any fruit could potentially work because it has more to do with what you like as a flavor.”
Personally, Newman said she likes strawberries in her water. But she hadn’t tried asparagus and hadn’t heard about adding vegetables like asparagus to her water until Whole Foods tried to sell it.
Some minerals from asparagus could make a bottle of water more nutritious, she said. But it’s more important to eat “real, whole foods”.
