Plain ol' water is out. Hydration supplements are in. But do these top 8 brands really work?

4 months ago

You spot them crowding checkout counters astatine market stores — a rainbow of bubble-gum pink, lime greenish and blueberry packets, slender and upright, for illustration a multicolored chorus statement of dancers tempting an impulse purchase. At nan gym, they’re dissolved into tremendous jugs of cherry-tinted water.

They’re particularly prevalent connected TikTok. Just hunt #watertok for a flood of #watergirlies, clutching Stanley tumblers astatine their #waterstations, which are crammed pinch neon-bright hydration powders and flavored syrups. #Wateroftheday? How astir Strawberry Birthday Cake Water. Or Caramel Apple Sucker Water.

In L.A., h2o rules everything astir us. Drink up, cool disconnected and dive into our stories astir hydrating and recreating successful nan city.

“If your h2o isn’t turning your rima blue, you’re apparently hydrating wrong,” 1 skeptical dietitian observed connected TikTok past year.

Hydration supplements successful nan shape of powders, tablets and liquid additives person go a norm among consumers complete nan past decade, and are much celebrated than ever. The world electrolyte hydration drinks marketplace was weighted astatine $1.72 cardinal successful 2023, according to Data Bridge Market Research. And it’s growing. The business of boosting one’s H2O is projected to scope $3.26 cardinal by 2031.

A assortment of colorful h2o supplement packets.

Why hydration is important

This bonanza of caller hydration products plays to a basal but captious need: More than 50% of group astir nan globe, including successful nan U.S., are chronically underhydrated, according to nan National Institutes of Health, which cites worldwide surveys. (“Underhydration” refers to group who don’t meet nan recommended regular fluid intake, whereas “dehydration” refers to a much terrible fluid deficit.)

Those statistic are concerning, considering hydration is nan lipid to our body’s engine. It aids in musculus repair, digestion, power and focus. It’s basal for lubricating joints, regulating assemblage somesthesia and removing toxins from nan body. It carries nutrients to cells and is important for hormonal balance, which tin impact humor unit and nan menstrual cycle. Our level of hydration besides contributes to our hairsbreadth and tegument health.

“Proper hydration keeps each strategy of nan assemblage moving smoothly,” says dietitian-nutritionist Vanessa King, a spokesperson for nan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

After years of striving to adhere to a 1945 U.S. Food and Nutrition Board recommendation of 8 glasses of h2o a day, it tracks that we’d want to zhuzh up nan ritual. (Some studies, however, propose we request little h2o regular and that h2o requirements alteration for individuals.) But is location immoderate existent wellness worth to these h2o additives? Do they assistance pinch hangovers, heighten our workouts aliases energize us? Or are they simply location to make plain aged h2o sensation for illustration a piña colada?

It depends connected what merchandise you’re peppering into your Hydro Flask.

“Hydration supplements tin replenish you erstwhile your fluid position is down — truthful aft workouts, for hangovers aliases erstwhile you’ve been sick,” says Dr. Vijaya Surampudi, an endocrinologist, nutrition master and professor astatine UCLA. “Depending connected their composition, immoderate get amended absorbed and amended your hydration. Some are conscionable for flavoring and they tin person a batch of sweetener aliases artificial coloring — it tin beryllium for illustration drinking a soda.”

The texture of h2o shows up arsenic a blurry bluish swirl against a turquoise background

She notes that because these powders and tablets are categorized arsenic supplements, they aren’t regulated by nan U.S. Food and Drug Administration. “So you conscionable person to spot what’s connected nan label.” (To capable this spread successful regulation, immoderate sleuthing societal media users person moreover carved retired a niche contented genre successful which they analyze nan ingredients listed connected nan labels of celebrity-backed supplements.)

What’s successful hydration supplements?

More often than not, a hydration powder aliases tablet includes a operation of 4 main ingredients: electrolytes (such arsenic sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride), a carbohydrate (such arsenic glucose), vitamins (typically B vitamins, sometimes C) and amino acids. Depending connected their quantity, and really they interact pinch 1 another, those ingredients whitethorn thief hydrate your assemblage much efficiently.

How these ingredients chemically interact pinch 1 different straight affects hydration. Water follows sodium for absorption, for example, and sodium molecules recreation champion pinch glucose molecules crossed nan lining of nan gastrointestinal tract, Surampudi says, truthful carbohydrates for illustration sweetener are not a bad point successful your supplements — they’re really preferred.

Even so, it’s a delicate balance. A supplement pinch excessively overmuch sweetener whitethorn activity against your purpose to beryllium healthier.

“The assemblage stores excess sweetener for power later, and that’s stored arsenic fat,” Surampudi says. “And if you portion excessively overmuch [sugary fluids], that tin lead to wellness complications.”

While sugar and sodium thief substance hydration, those pinch glucosuria aliases precocious humor unit should beryllium observant pinch hydration supplements, paying attraction to their sweetener aliases brackish intake.

“Use it pinch be aware and talk pinch your healthcare provider,” Surampudi says.

Do we request them?

Hydration supplements aren’t unsafe for astir group to return regular if nan sweetener contented is mean — but they’re often not necessary, says Dr. Christopher Duggan, editor of nan American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and a Harvard Medical School professor.

Most adults and children don’t meet regular hydration recommendations, he says, which is presently 13 eight-ounce cups of fluid for patient men and 9 for patient women, according to nan National Academy of Medicine. (Note this proposal includes each fluids, not conscionable water. And we thin to get 20% of our h2o intake from food.)

“So if adding a ray flavoring gets them to portion much water, that’s astir apt not a unspeakable thing,” Duggan said. “But if nan disbursal is high, it’s yet not worthwhile. Because unless you’re participating successful vigorous workout aliases your GI tract doesn’t activity normally, h2o unsocial is astir apt an capable hydration.”

Some hydration supplements moreover incorporate ingredients that are not hydrating erstwhile consumed successful ample quantities, specified arsenic caffeine. Though caffeine is simply a diuretic, consuming up to 400 mg of it regular tin really thief pinch hydration, according to nan Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ King. Other flavored powders incorporate various B vitamins, which whitethorn origin problems successful excess.

“B6, if you devour excessively overmuch of it because you’re getting it elsewhere, there’s a consequence for immoderate group of neuropathy, which intends harm to nan peripheral nerves (which are extracurricular of nan encephalon and spinal cord), and which tin origin numbness and tingling, among different things,” Surampudi said.

Surampudi recommends consuming hydration supplements only successful moments erstwhile your assemblage is particularly challenged.

“If there’s a business wherever you’re fluid down, aliases successful a precocious altitude aliases successful an highly basking climate, that’s wherever these things tin beryllium helpful,” she said.

How 8 apical hydration supplement brands perform

So return your hydration boosters pinch a patient dose of skepticism. Here’s an study of 8 hydration supplements — nan good, nan bad and nan meh — according to L.A.-based dietitian Katie Chapmon.

Liquid I.V.’s Hydration Multiplier. “I would not person personification take this to usage each time because nan added sweetener is really excessively overmuch — it’s nan first and 2nd listed ingredients. The different point is: They boast, connected their website, that nan hydration multiplier has ‘3x nan electrolytes of nan starring sports drink.’ And that whitethorn beryllium awesome for personification who is doing very high-impact sports aliases who would require superior electrolytes replacement, but it’s not for nan mean person. Electrolytes equilibrium retired our cells, but if we person excessively overmuch it throws disconnected that equilibrium and our cells tin really go oversaturated; it tin make it harder for that compartment to activity and to get hydrated. This is why a much mean magnitude of electrolytes whitethorn beryllium a amended action for athletes and dense sweaters.”

Nuun Sport Hydration. “This 1 has a little magnitude of added sugar. It mightiness beryllium for personification who wants to spirit their h2o — which, alone, would thief summation fluid intake and truthful their hydration. It has electrolytes — your sodium, magnesium, potassium, chloride — but I would not person personification usage this from a superior diversion standpoint because athletes request to not only replenish electrolytes mislaid but besides sugars mislaid done expelling power done exercise. Would it thief hydrate cells? Sure, a small bit. But astir group will extremity up drinking this because they for illustration nan flavors — and a batch of group for illustration Nuun’s flavors.”

Cure Hydrating Electrolyte Drink Mix. “I for illustration this 1 arsenic a h2o flavoring — retired of each of them, it was 1 of my favorites for that. But it’s not a existent electrolyte blend. It includes sodium and Himalayan salt. But there’s nary chloride and magnesium. This would not beryllium a proposal for gym-goers aliases athletes arsenic it doesn’t incorporate immoderate sugars, which are needed for capable electrolyte and power replenishment. It’s conscionable a h2o flavoring because it contains little amounts of sodium and potassium than different hydration alternatives. The ingredients are straightforward and cleanable — it has nary added sugar, which is awesome — but it’s not successful nan aforesaid vessel arsenic an electrolyte product, moreover though it’s advertised arsenic that.”

MIO Strawberry Watermelon Liquid Water Enhancer and MIO Sport Electrolytes + B Vitamins. “Out of each of these, MIO is astir apt 1 of my slightest favorites. The first is conscionable a h2o flavoring, but each these additives — for illustration sucrose acetate and Red 40 — they’re not bully for you. Red 40 is simply a synthetic nutrient dye. It’s considered safe, but a batch of group tin person allergies causing headaches. It’s safe but not arsenic bully arsenic Cure, which uses a earthy additive for illustration beet powder for color. Mio Sport uses Blue 1 for coloring, besides a synthetic dye. It does incorporate B vitamins — B3, B6 and B12 — but not nan complete B analyzable of 8 B vitamins. It’s besides not arsenic beardown of an electrolyte blend. Like Cure, it is missing your chloride and magnesium.”

Ultima Replenisher, Broad Spectrum Electrolyte Mix. “This 1 is OK from a standpoint that it’s going to spirit h2o and has nan electrolytes that we’re looking for, for illustration potassium, sodium, magnesium and chloride. But they’re comparatively debased amounts, containing one-sixth nan magnitude of sodium successful Nuun and Orgain; therefore, it is not for superior athletes.”

LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes, Raw Unflavored. “This is simply a clean, straightforward marque and zero calories — conscionable your electrolytes. It isn’t flavored, though, truthful would not beryllium an capable h2o flavoring product. It would beryllium bully for a smoothie boost aliases if personification is connected an elimination diet. But you’d request to adhd successful a carbohydrate source, for illustration fruit, for this to beryllium much hydrating. It would person to beryllium a full citrus squeezed in. Or, if doing a smoothie, adhd a 4th cup of stiff berries to thief sorb nan electrolytes and thief hydration.”

Water Boy Hydration Electrolyte Drink Mix for Weekend Recovery. “I was tense astir nan precocious sodium contented here. Sodium is nan first constituent and it’s almost 50% of your regular value. Compared to nan different electrolytes — potassium, magnesium and chloride — nan sodium is very precocious and nan others are low. It’s a really overseas balance. But it has zero sweetener and it has only 1 gram of carbohydrates, which, from nan constituent list, I’m assuming is coming from a earthy spirit aliases perchance nan rootlike juice. But it’s not capable carbohydrates to equilibrium retired nan precocious sodium content. This merchandise is marketed arsenic a ‘hangover’ cure because intoxicant dehydrates nan body; dehydration is simply a awesome contributor to hangover symptoms. Rehydrating nan assemblage utilizing alkaline brackish neutralizes nan acerb from intoxicant and dehydration; however, this merchandise would use from a amended equilibrium of each electrolytes, not conscionable precocious amounts of sodium.”

Orgain Hydro Boost, Rapid Hydration Drink Mix. “I for illustration this 1 for athletes. Sugar is nan first ingredient, but for athletes that would thief sorb nan electrolytes. And it would besides replenish glucose retention successful nan muscles. And I for illustration nan equilibrium of sodium and chloride present too. There’s besides potassium. It’s missing magnesium, but because nan sodium and chloride are truthful good balanced it outweighs that. There’s besides nary synthetic flavoring. It’s each things for illustration integrated citrus juice and integrated monk fruit. It’s not for mundane usage because of nan precocious sweetener content, but awesome for athletes for circumstantial usage for illustration a long-intense motorcycle training, precocious energy, intermittent workouts aliases an event, for illustration a sports game.”

Source latimes