Is one type of water better than another?

It’s hot and you’re thirsty, so you pop into a store to up your hydration levels. In the water aisle and in the coolers, you’re confronted with a plethora of labels boasting benefits from specific types of water, like alkaline water, electrolyte water, enhanced water, and even flavored water.

But is there a nutritional advantage to picking up one versus another?

Senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) and professor of biochemical and molecular nutrition at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Roger Fielding, says the short answer is simple: “No.”

“There’s no physiological basis that there’s some metabolic benefit to these specialty waters over just regular, plain old water,” Fielding said.

Since most people tend not to consume enough liquids and lean more toward a dehydrated state, Fielding’s advice is simply to drink more fluids.

“If you have a preference for a beverage and that’s going to make you drink more and you’ll be more attentive to rehydrating with that beverage, and you have the resources to purchase that beverage, well have at it,” Fielding said. “Just like with sweetened beverages to an extent, if you’re not in excess, you’re more likely to rehydrate because a beverage is sweetened or flavored.”

That doesn’t mean we should ignore nutrition labels, though. Paying specific attention to sodium levels in beverages—even in water—is important. Adults should aim to consume less than 2 grams of sodium per day and some waters, like those labeled as having electrolytes, may contain elevated levels of sodium due to the addition of sodium potassium and, in some cases, salt itself.

“If someone consumes large amounts of water with high levels of sodium, they could elevate their risk of hypertension and other negative cardiovascular outcomes associated with excess salt intake,” Fielding said. “But most of these beverages that provide those kinds of electrolytes, they’re fairly dilute.”

Fielding said even for endurance athletes and people who may exercise in environments like heated yoga studios, it’s “very difficult to induce an electrolyte deficiency,” and consuming electrolyte-enhanced water will not make much difference in changing the electrolyte concentration in our bodies.

Electrolytes, which play a vital role in helping our bodies regulate chemical reactions, are both produced in our bodies in the form of bicarbonate and are consumed through food and drinks in the forms of sodium and potassium chloride.

“The electrolyte concentrations inside our cells, and also in the fluids that are outside our cells, like the blood for example, are very tightly controlled and regulated,” Fielding said. “That’s because they have an impact on how our muscles function, how our kidneys work, and how our hearts sort of beat 72 times every minute. So, increasing the electrolyte concentrations by consuming a beverage is not going to influence the overall electrolyte concentrations in our bodies.”

Bess Dawson-Hughes, a senior scientist at the HNRCA, professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, and an endocrinologist, believes young consumers would likely find no benefit in picking up a bottle labeled as alkaline water.

“We don’t have direct evidence that shows a benefit from alkaline water interventions compared with non-alkaline water interventions,” Dawson-Hughes said. “But it would be logical if, as an older person, you have an acid-producing diet and it’s costing you bone and muscle that you might do well to get alkali any way you could get it.”

American diets tend to be high in foods like proteins and grains, and the sulfur in these foods is metabolized into acid by the kidneys, Dawson-Hughes explained. For that reason, it’s imperative that we eat enough fruits and vegetables—or alkali foods—to help our bodies achieve pH balance.

“When we’re young, our kidneys are functional enough to make needed adjustments to get us pH balanced, by dumping extra hydrogen ions,” Dawson-Hughes said. “When we age, our kidneys decline in that capacity. If the kidney can’t get rid of excess acid, guess what happens next? Bone is resorbed or lost because bone is, in essence, an alkali reservoir.”

Fielding, who also studies aging populations, could see why enhanced waters would benefit someone who has trouble remembering to drink fluids or avoids drinking fluids due to issues with incontinence or another urinary dysfunction.

“For caregivers and providers, it’s important to remind the aging population that staying hydrated is important,” Fielding said. “We need to encourage people to consume an adequate amount of liquid, because they might not know to do it on their own.”

But the bottom line, whether it is for someone in their 80s, someone who exercises regularly, or finds themselves sitting at a desk for work, is to replenish with plain old H₂O.

“The best fluid replacement that you can probably drink to prevent becoming dehydrated is water,” Fielding said. “Water trumps everything, except in maybe some very extreme circumstances.”

It’s hot and you’re thirsty, so you pop into a store to up your hydration levels. In the water aisle and in the coolers, you’re confronted with a plethora of labels boasting benefits from specific types of water, like alkaline water, electrolyte water, enhanced water, and even flavored water.

But is there a nutritional advantage to picking up one versus another?

Senior scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging (HNRCA) and professor of biochemical and molecular nutrition at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, Roger Fielding, says the short answer is simple: “No.”

“There’s no physiological basis that there’s some metabolic benefit to these specialty waters over just regular, plain old water,” Fielding said.

Since most people tend not to consume enough liquids and lean more toward a dehydrated state, Fielding’s advice is simply to drink more fluids.

“If you have a preference for a beverage and that’s going to make you drink more and you’ll be more attentive to rehydrating with that beverage, and you have the resources to purchase that beverage, well have at it,” Fielding said. “Just like with sweetened beverages to an extent, if you’re not in excess, you’re more likely to rehydrate because a beverage is sweetened or flavored.”

That doesn’t mean we should ignore nutrition labels, though. Paying specific attention to sodium levels in beverages—even in water—is important. Adults should aim to consume less than 2 grams of sodium per day and some waters, like those labeled as having electrolytes, may contain elevated levels of sodium due to the addition of sodium potassium and, in some cases, salt itself.

“If someone consumes large amounts of water with high levels of sodium, they could elevate their risk of hypertension and other negative cardiovascular outcomes associated with excess salt intake,” Fielding said. “But most of these beverages that provide those kinds of electrolytes, they’re fairly dilute.”

Fielding said even for endurance athletes and people who may exercise in environments like heated yoga studios, it’s “very difficult to induce an electrolyte deficiency,” and consuming electrolyte-enhanced water will not make much difference in changing the electrolyte concentration in our bodies.

Electrolytes, which play a vital role in helping our bodies regulate chemical reactions, are both produced in our bodies in the form of bicarbonate and are consumed through food and drinks in the forms of sodium and potassium chloride.

“The electrolyte concentrations inside our cells, and also in the fluids that are outside our cells, like the blood for example, are very tightly controlled and regulated,” Fielding said. “That’s because they have an impact on how our muscles function, how our kidneys work, and how our hearts sort of beat 72 times every minute. So, increasing the electrolyte concentrations by consuming a beverage is not going to influence the overall electrolyte concentrations in our bodies.”

Bess Dawson-Hughes, a senior scientist at the HNRCA, professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine, and an endocrinologist, believes young consumers would likely find no benefit in picking up a bottle labeled as alkaline water.

“We don’t have direct evidence that shows a benefit from alkaline water interventions compared with non-alkaline water interventions,” Dawson-Hughes said. “But it would be logical if, as an older person, you have an acid-producing diet and it’s costing you bone and muscle that you might do well to get alkali any way you could get it.”

American diets tend to be high in foods like proteins and grains, and the sulfur in these foods is metabolized into acid by the kidneys, Dawson-Hughes explained. For that reason, it’s imperative that we eat enough fruits and vegetables—or alkali foods—to help our bodies achieve pH balance.

“When we’re young, our kidneys are functional enough to make needed adjustments to get us pH balanced, by dumping extra hydrogen ions,” Dawson-Hughes said. “When we age, our kidneys decline in that capacity. If the kidney can’t get rid of excess acid, guess what happens next? Bone is resorbed or lost because bone is, in essence, an alkali reservoir.”

Fielding, who also studies aging populations, could see why enhanced waters would benefit someone who has trouble remembering to drink fluids or avoids drinking fluids due to issues with incontinence or another urinary dysfunction.

“For caregivers and providers, it’s important to remind the aging population that staying hydrated is important,” Fielding said. “We need to encourage people to consume an adequate amount of liquid, because they might not know to do it on their own.”

But the bottom line, whether it is for someone in their 80s, someone who exercises regularly, or finds themselves sitting at a desk for work, is to replenish with plain old H₂O.

“The best fluid replacement that you can probably drink to prevent becoming dehydrated is water,” Fielding said. “Water trumps everything, except in maybe some very extreme circumstances.”