The Best and Worst Water Enhancers
Yes, you can buy a water enhancer—a little bottle of colorful liquid to squeeze in your water that marketers say add B vitamins and other vitamins and minerals—but let's be clear, most of these flavor squeezers are just artificial chemical concoctions that don't do anything to enhance the properties of water.
Here's our rundown of the best and worst water enhancers (unfortunately there are very few that make the cut!):
DRINK THIS!
Stur Liquid Water Enhancer
Again, this is not going to make your water healthier, but at least it doesn't contain some of the more egregious chemicals found in most other drink squeezers. That is, if you don't mind Stevia extract, which we're still on the fence about. Stur Natural Water Enhancers are sugar-free and available in 12 flavors, with variety packs available on Amazon.
DRINK THIS!
Skinnygirl Water Enhancer
While there are still more preservatives in here that we would like, at least it doesn't contain antifreeze and "weighting" agents. It has vegetable juice for color and Stevia Extract and cane sugar for sweetness.
NOT THAT!
Crystal Light Liquid
With claims like "zero calories" and "no sugar" you'd think this was a harmless drink mix. But when you look at the ingredient list you see 12 ingredients, including the artificial sweetener Sucralose and sucrose acetate isobutyrate, a thickening or "weighting" agent also found in printing inks.
NOT THAT!
MiO Liquid Water Enhancer
The second ingredient in these little bottles is propylene glycol, a preservative, thickening agent, and stabilizer, also used as antifreeze to de-ice airplanes, as a plasticizer to make polyester resins, and found in electronic cigarettes.
NOT THAT!
Dasani Drops
Nestled in this 13-ingredient list are the artificial sweetener Sucralose, and ink-thickener sucrose acetate isobutyrate.
NOT THAT!
Propel Zero Sport
This zippy sounding sports drink mix is nothing more than citric acid, salt, and one of the worst additives for your health, antifreeze (propylene glycol)—mixed with a little artificial coloring and a splash of B vitamins.
