Health Tips

I remember the first time I was introduced to infused water some time ago. I thought to myself, “wow this is something new.” And of course I was certainly pleased with the colorful radiant looks of the concoction of strawberries and oranges, but as someone who loves drinking just plain old water, sipping a glass of this detox water just doesn’t really do it for me. I felt it tastes a little odd, to be honest.

But despite me having a love-hate relationship with detox water, I started to realize the obvious truth.

“Infused water or detox water as some would call it, is gaining popularity and it’s even marketed by health and beverage companies to be the one fix solution miracle that promises beautiful skin, weight loss, and detox all at once.”

But, what’s the truth behind that hype around infused water?

What Is Infused / Detox Water?

For those of you who might not be too familiar with what infused water is, it’s actually pretty simple. Infused or detox water is water that has been infused with the flavors of fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs.

There’s a lot of different ways to make detox water, all you need is basically any types of fruits, vegetables or herbs that you like and of course a little creativity.

Some popular detox water combinations are :

• Cucumber and mint.

• Lemon and ginger.

• Blueberry and orange.

• Lemon and cayenne pepper.

• Watermelon and mint.

• Grapefruit and rosemary.

• Orange and lemon.

• Lemon and lime.

• Strawberry and basil.

• Apple and cinnamon.

The list goes on and on.

So What Is So Good About It?

You need to first recognize that water itself is the actual star-of-the-show behind many of these claims.

We all know the importance of drinking enough water because when your body lacks water, it takes a toll on almost every process in the body, including blood circulation, digestion, temperature regulation, etc.

But, do you remember the story at the beginning where I talked about not really liking the taste of infused water? I know probably I’m just one of the odd ones who feel that way, but the funny thing is that it works the same the other way around. Not everybody fancies the taste of plain, flat water and this is where infused water comes in.

To many, infused water tastes way better due to the added natural flavors of fruits, vegetables or herbs, so it may help to trick the mind to drink more and stay better hydrated. And as it only brings out the flavors, infused water contains minimal, if any additional calories.

“Infused or detox water is created by having added natural ingredients that are supposed to boost the health value of the water itself.”

If you are drinking infused water, chances are you will not feel the need to reach for that sugary beverage, which is a huge advantage to your health.

It is believed that detox water will rid your body of toxins, improve digestive health, improve mood and complexion, aid in weight loss and boost your energy. But when you take a closer look at the science behind it, you can get all these benefits from drinking enough regular water too.

After all, only a small portion of the vitamins and nutrients from your fruits and vegetables actually enter your water, so if you want to get the nutrition from fruits and vegetables, you need to consume them whole.

The idea that you can speed up and improve your body’s detox pathways by drinking detox water does not have much scientific evidence either, because our body is readily and naturally designed to rid itself of toxins.

So the truth of the matter is, while infused and detox water may taste delicious (to some), it does not have any true “magical” health benefits that you can’t get elsewhere.

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References:

1. Tran, P. (2018). The Truth Behind Infused Water - Hello Doktor. [online] Hello Doktor. Available at: https://hellodoktor.com/healthy-living/nutrition/truth-behind-infused-water/.

2. West, H. (2016). Detox Water Health Benefits and Myths. [online] Healthline. Available at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/detox-water-101.

3. Fitness Blender. (2019). Are there benefits to infused water or detox water or is it a gimmick?. [online] Available at: https://www.fitnessblender.com/articles/are-there-benefits-to-infused-water-or-detox-water-or-is-it-a-gimmick.

4. Lawrenceparkhealth.com. (2017). Hype About Infused Water – Lawrence Park Health and Wellness. [online] Available at: https://lawrenceparkhealth.com/hype-infused-water/

Image credit:

1. https://images.cutco.com/learn/2018/Infused-Fruit-Water-14-l.jpg

2. https://girlwithcurves.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/29077740792_b325568871_o.jpg

3. https://drinkclearfast.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/dehydration-before-surgery.jpg

4. https://i0.wp.com/frostedevents.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/detox-water-recipes-benefits-how-to-make-weight-loss-recipe-frostedmoms-2.jpg?fit=1600%2C1022&ssl=1

5. https://i.dietdoctor.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Fruits-and-vegetables-guide.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&w=1200&h=800&fit=crop

6. https://food.fnr.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/food/fullset/2013/12/20/0/FNK_Infused-Water-Cucumber-Strawberry_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.826.620.suffix/1389218894208.jpeg

7. http://drpatriciamd.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/lime-mint-cucumber-water-recipe.jpg

8. https://www.westernhealth.com/wha/assets/File/orange-blueberry.jpg

9. http://www.adv-bio.com/wp-content/uploads/grapefruit-rosemary-water-shutterstock-1.jpg

      10. https://food.fnr.sndimg.com/content/dam/images/food/fullset/2013/12/20/0/FNK_Infused-Water-Apple-  Cinnamon_s4x3.jpg.rend.hgtvcom.826.620.suffix/1389218767369.jpeg

      11. https://chopra.com/sites/default/files/field/image/WomanDrinkingWaterDetox.jpg

Written by

Dr. Jeanrette J. Nierras