How healthy are flavoured waters?

I’ve been caught out by Pams Soda Water with a Lemon Twist.

Thinking I was buying a flavoured soda water, I took a sip, only to discover it tasted like lemonade. When I checked the nutrition information panel, I was surprised to find it had the equivalent of approximately three teaspoons of sugar in a 250mL glass. That’s about half the sugar in a glass of Sprite soft drink but is still a sizeable sugar hit that I wasn’t expecting.

Consumer NZ has also been contacted by consumers who were peeved by this product. One told us he thought it was misleading to call it “soda water” as it was more like a soft drink. Another thought it was deceiving consumers who had made the choice to drink water.

We thought so too, and it got us wondering how healthy flavoured waters really are. We checked out 17 products, including still and sparkling options and products with added vitamins and minerals.

And what we found was, there’s a big range when it comes to sugar content. Many also contain acids, so it’s a double whammy when it comes to dental health.

What’s in them?

Sugar

Eight products contain added sugars from sucrose, fructose, apple juice or fruit nectar.

New Zealand Dental Association spokesperson Dr Rob Beaglehole said sugary drinks have no nutritional value and are a concern because they replace healthier options, such as water and low-fat milk.

Sugary drinks are the main source of sugars consumed by New Zealand children and young people. They’re associated with tooth decay, weight gain, obesity and type-2 diabetes.

Pams Soda Water with a Lemon Twist and Schweppes Soda Water with a Twist of Lemon have the most sugar – more than three teaspoons in a 250mL glass. Glaceau Vitaminwater contains more than two and a half teaspoons of sugar in every 250mL.

Intense or artificial sweeteners

Four products contain intense sweeteners (also known as artificial or natural intense sweeteners). They are much sweeter than sugar but have few to no kilojoules. They’re often included in the ingredients list under their additive code number. For example, sucralose is 955.

Despite being approved for use in our food supply, some sweeteners have been dogged by controversy for decades. Aspartame, which none of the drinks in our survey contain, has been particularly in the spotlight.

Dr Leanne Young, public health dietitian and member of the Food Policy Expert Group of Health Coalition Aotearoa, told us intense sweeteners are an option for people looking to limit their sugar intake. They can also help people transition to less sweet or sugary foods and drinks like water and low-fat milk.

“However, it’s unclear what the benefits and long-term effects of these sweeteners are, so they’re best only used in the short term. They may also promote the desire for sweet tastes,” she said.

Food acids

Thirteen of the products we surveyed contain food acids, which like sweeteners are also often listed under the ingredients by their additive code number.

The most common food acid in our survey was citric acid. Citric acid is naturally present in oranges and other fruit and is added to drinks as a preservative and for flavour.

Dr Beaglehole warned that the acidity of drinks is a hidden danger and can lead to dental erosion.

“Dental erosion occurs as the acidic drink washes over the tooth surface, which dissolves the tooth enamel in the process. Once the enamel is lost, it’s lost forever,” he said.

Added vitamins and minerals

Glaceau Vitaminwater, Mizone Sports Water and Powerade Active Water are three products that contain added vitamins. Glaceau also has added minerals.

Dr Young told us there’s no major benefit from obtaining vitamins and minerals from drinks, and it’s likely to make the drink more expensive.

“Eating a wide variety of nutritious, mainly unprocessed foods, such as fruit and vegetables, is the best way to get the nutrients your body needs. You’ll also just excrete any excess water-soluble vitamins in your urine,” she told us.

Dr Beaglehole said that, when it comes to dental health, ingredients such as vitamins and minerals don’t offset the harm sugary and acidic drinks can cause.

Are there any healthy options?

Four sparkling products in our survey (Almighty Yuzu Lime Sparkling Water, La Croix Sparkling Water Passionfruit, NZ Natural Sparkling Water Lime Flavoured and Vista Feijoa Sparkling Water) didn’t contain sweeteners or food acids. However, Dr Beaglehole said sparkling waters are more acidic than still water even if they don’t contain added food acids.

“For that reason, dentists recommend drinking plain water as the healthiest option.”

Foodstuffs said: We’re currently reviewing our carbonated drinks range. This includes looking at possible updates to Pams Soda Water with a Lemon Twist and exploring a new formulation for Pams Lemon Flavoured Sparkling Water to remove both sugar and citric acid from its ingredients.

Tips from our experts

• Drink plain water rather than sweetened and acidic drinks for hydration.
• Check the ingredients list for sugars, sweeteners and acids and check the nutrition information panel for sugar content.
• Minimise the harm to your teeth by only drinking sugary and acidic drinks when you are eating too. That’s when your mouth is producing lots of saliva that can wash away the sugar and acid. You should also drink such drinks quickly – not sip them over a long period of time – or use a straw to reduce direct contact with the teeth.
• Save money by making your own flavoured water. You can do this by adding fruit, vegetables and herbs to a jug of plain water and chilling it in the fridge. Berries, mint, cucumber and citrus are good options.

Flavoured waters compared