Vitamin Waters Claim Health Benefits
May 21 -- The modern workers of the world don't just visit the water cooler for a miniature paper cup full of H2O. For some hydration enthusiasts, basic bottled water isn't enough — they need vitamin waters.
Vitamins are the newest ripple in the tidal wave of bottled water. Gatorade is diving in with something called "Propel Fitness Water," while Pepsi, Reebok, Arizona, Seagrams, Snapple, and Glaceau — which says it got there first — try to stake their own claim in the market.
Some bottled-water enthusiasts, like Todd Gage, say they welcome the opportunity to get more vitamins into their daily diet by simply picking up a bottle of water. "I think you get hydrated in addition to getting some vitamins," he said.
But can you really benefit from water that's been mixed with vitamins? Good Morning America's consumer correspondent Greg Hunter asked Good Housekeeping magazine to help check out some popular brands of "vitamin water."
Good Housekeeping's director of nutrition, Delia Hammock, examined more than 30 varieties of vitamin water. "Generally, the vitamin amounts in these waters isn't that much, you may get 10 percent, 20 percent of your daily value," Hammock said.
Not a Substitute
Darrius Bikoff of Glaceau Vitamin Water, which lists vitamin A and B among other ingredients on its bottles, told Hunter that the water is not meant to be a replacement for any other supplements you might be taking. Bikoff said it's not meant to be a substitute for a healthy diet, but he said it is more nutritious than traditional H2O.
"There's no nutrients in tap water. There's no nutrients in spring water. There are nutrients in Glaceau Vitamin Water," Bikoff said.
Although vitamins have been added to these fancy bottles of water, it doesn't necessarily mean that your body will ever absorb them, according to Hammock."Not vitamins A and E, because they are fat-soluble vitamins and there is no fat in water," Hammock said. "Therefore you're not going to absorb much of the A and E in your body."
