Water itself has two ingredients; hydrogen and oxygen. Bottled water on the other hand is a little more complicated than that, and the industry has spent decades misleading us about their products. Although they’re all pretty bad, one of the worst offenders is Dasani, owned by Coca-Cola. Dasani’s bottles state that it contains “purified water enhanced with minerals,” but that’s only part of the story. Let’s talk about what is exactly in Dasani water:
- Tap Water – Yes, the purest source around. Tap water. Coca-Cola has admitted that Dasani is just bottled tap water. Hey, if you’re cool with drinking super expensive tap water, be my guest. But bottled water is the wrong choice for your health and the wrong choice for the environment too.
- Magnesium Sulfate – Magnesium sulfate, otherwise known as Epsom salts, are a funny thing to add to water. Why? Because it’s a drying agent and a laxative. Water, which is the ultimate thirst quencher, has a drying agent added to it to do what, you suppose? Perhaps make you thirstier? Perhaps make you buy more? Here’s the messed up part – magnesium sulfate is a category D teratogen. In high doses, it can affect an unborn child’s bone structure. I’m sure Coca-Cola would prefer pregnant women didn’t know about that.
- Potassium Chloride – Potassium chloride’s most common use is in fertilizers and lethal injection melanges. An interesting addition to bottled water, no? It’s not totally clear why this chemical is added to their water. It’s associated with possible birth defects as well as bowel issues, cardiac arrhythmia, muscle weakness, diarrhea, and nervous system damage. Here’s something else we don’t know: how much of the stuff Coca-Cola adds to its water.
- Salt – This one needs little explanation. While salt is not often dangerous, it can cause health problems if you find yourself drinking a lot of bottled water in a day, especially if you suffer heart disease or high blood pressure.
The bottom line? It’s a sad reality that you just can’t get good old-fashioned pure water very many places anymore, but bottled water is not a good alternative to tap water. We suggest tap water filters before bottled water. ~Simple Organic Life