8 Ways You're Drinking Water Wrong

And here you thought it was just about taking a big gulp.

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You'd think drinking water would be pretty hard to mess up, right? Choose your bottle, open it, drink, repeat. But that first step—choosing which kind of water you're going to sip—is trickier than you might think now that there's a wide array of options hanging out on store shelves. So we touched base with Ellie Krieger, R.D., TV host and author of Weeknight Wonders: Delicious, Healthy Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less, to dispel the eight biggest water myths tripping us up at the grocery store.

You think that purified bottle is the same as spring or artesian water.

Not all waters come from the same place, but they are all created equal (we'll get to that later). So while many believe that artesian or spring waters might be fancier than, say, purified—it's not. Here, Krieger provides a quick breakdown of where each type of water originates from (which consequently alters its taste ever-so-slightly). Otherwise, the only thing these three have in common: zero nutritional benefits, aside from providing ever-important hydration.


Purified: This water can come from anywhere, even from a tap. The purified part means that it's been filtered or distilled to remove impurities, like chlorine, that affect taste or odor.

Spring: Water that is from an underground formation that bubbles up and flows naturally to the surface, just like an actual spring.

Artesian: It might sound fancy, but similar to spring, this is just water that comes from an underground surface. The only difference is that it's tapped from a well that's under pressure, which causes the water to rise to the surface.

You're missing out on important nutrient boosters.

Much like spring and artesian, mineral water comes from a specific place—in this case, it must come from an underground source that's naturally rich in minerals. Those minerals make this water exceptionally great, too—since the source the water comes from is naturally loaded with minerals, so is the water. Which means drinking some can increase your intake tremendously—as in, one liter per day can cover 20 to 58 percent of your daily calcium requirements and 16 to 41 percent of your magnesium needs.

When choosing a mineral water, though, be on the lookout for labels like "fortified with minerals" and "mineral-enriched." Those are bottles that had the minerals added after the fact—they weren't naturally included. What's it matter? "They're usually adding such a tiny amount that it'll affect the taste—so it often tastes better—but it doesn't have an impact on your nutrient intake like natural mineral water does," says Krieger. To spot the difference, "look at the nutrition label. If there's a significant amount of minerals included, there will actually be a percentage of calcium and magnesium included on the label. If not, it will likely say zero percent, or not be mentioned on the label at all."

You're getting too much sodium.

Like with anything that seems too good to be true, there is a catch to mineral water. Krieger says it tends to be high in sodium (but not all varieties are), so if you're watching your intake, be sure to read labels carefully. You shouldn't exceed more than 2400 mg of sodium in a day, so if you grab a glass of mineral water, make sure you're including it in your daily count.

You grab bottles because of their vitamin promotion or energy promises.

"There's all these drinks that contain antioxidants that have a really enticing name, like 'focus,' 'calm,' or 'revitalize,'" explains Krieger. It might sound like you're getting more for your dollar, but the truth is, you're not. "It's basically pure marketing. These enhancements aren't anything you can't get at your next meal through natural antioxidants that come in your food."


You assume all flavored waters are created equal.

Not so, says Krieger. "Some on the market are great, and there's just an essence of fruit extract or natural fruit flavoring in there," she says. "But others have artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners added in. Which is fine to have once in a while, but to me it moves it out of the water category and into soft drink territory."

These artificially sweetened waters also tend to be loaded with refined sugar, piling on the calories if you guzzle a few throughout your day (Krieger says there can be upwards of 120 calories worth of sugar in a standard 20-ounce bottle, or about 50 calories per cup).And same goes for those water-flavoring drops you can buy at the grocery store. Those often have artificial colors in them, so Krieger suggests looking at the ingredient list and deciding what's best for you. "There's not proof that it's going to cause a ton of harm if you have it every now and then, but those calories aren't nothing and can really add up."

Instead, look for water that is unsweetened and has minimal additives, and if you need the flavor, add it yourself with fresh fruit or herbs. "It's always better to go for lemon, orange, or cucumber slices and stick them in your water and put it in the fridge," says Krieger. "You're going to be getting nutrition that way and fresh flavor, as opposed to a synthetic one."

You think "more is always better" when it comes to getting in nutrients.

This could actually be quite dangerous to your health, as there's an upper limit for almost every nutrient out there, and over-consuming could be harmful. Take calcium, for example, which has an upper limit of 2500 mg/day. Krieger says that if you were taking a calcium supplement, then eating a calcium-fortified cereal, and then drinking calcium-rich water, it's possible you could overload your system. "If that happens, you could get kidney stones or a host of other health issues," she says. "Very often the physical effects of getting too much is the same as not getting enough because you're throwing your system out of balance."

You think coconut water is the end-all, be-all of waters.

Sorry guys, but there's nothing magical about this nutty water. "Literally, all water hydrates the same," says Krieger. "Coconut water does provide some potassium, and it's a nice flavor change, but it also has 45 calories in a cup and there's usually more than one cup in a container." So while it's a good way to keep your taste buds from getting bored, there's nothing else that makes it "better." Even if you're after the potassium, you could just drink a regular glass of water and eat a banana, which also happens to give your body some much-needed fiber (and the water doesn't).

And while we're at it, the same goes for maple water. While it's ridiculously tasty and does provide some minerals, it clocks in 20 calories per cup, says Krieger. Some claim that there are antioxidants included, but there's currently no FDA-verified analyses of that.


You're not helping out your bones.

When you're looking to stray from your standard purified water, think about grabbing the alkaline variety. These waters have a pH balance higher than 7 and have minerals in them, and research shows that drinking water with more alkaline can prevent your bones from getting weaker. How? "Your body naturally balances its own acid, and your kidneys get rid of acid through urine, which requires calcium," explains Krieger. "So if you're eating a lot of acid-producing foods, like animal products, without getting enough calcium along with it, your kidney take the calcium from your bones. But if you add in that alkaline water, it helps balance the acidity that your body has to confront and the kidneys don't need to turn to the calcium in your bones to keep things leveled out."

Be on the lookout for brands that make alkaline water through an ionization process though, warns Krieger, as it doesn't add any of the nutritional benefit that natural minerals do. And again, bigger—or higher—levels of alkaline does not equal better, as the taste gets a little wonky the higher you go. Krieger suggests looking for water that has a pH between 7.5 and 8.5 to keep things healthy and delicious.

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