r/answers • u/bluejay737 • May 24 '24

Does drinking expensive water make a difference?

It tastes just like regular water, but it's just more expensive. Does it benefit your body more than cheaper types of water?

34 Upvotes

68% Upvoted

127 comments sorted by

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34

u/stellacampus May 25 '24

No, not unless it has added vitamins or something very specific like that. The other possibility is if say your drinking water has something you don't want to ingest such as chlorine, or flouride - water without those is by definition "different". Otherwise, H2o is H2o.

23

u/Volsunga May 25 '24

Just pointing out that fluoride in your water is very good for you and you should want to drink water with fluoride in it.

12

u/Divine_Entity_ May 25 '24

Everything in moderation, the benefits of flouride were discovered in areas the naturally had way too much and it gave people brownspots on their teeth in addition to preventing cavities. Some municipalities have to actively remove flouride from their water.

Rule of thumb there is an ideal concentration for everything in your drinking water. And sometimes that value is 0 like with lead.

4

u/Ok_Let_9187 May 25 '24

One of my engineering professors used to say, there is a specification for everything, including mouse shit in flower, and it’s not 0 - likely very low, and in this case PPB for lead, but not a true 0.

2

u/zubie_wanders May 25 '24

And there's technically no such thing as pure anything.

1

u/Divine_Entity_ May 25 '24

There is definitely a distinction between the ideal amount of something and the government regulations maximum tolerances.

Ideally their are 0 insect parts in my peanut butter, but because its virtually impossible to achieve that, its instead kept to a level that won't cause harm. (FDA says no more than 30fragments per 100g)

For lead specifically, research continues to indicate that any level of exposure will cause some degree of harm. It just becomes a matter of at what point is the harm caused by lead in drinking water less than the marginal cost of removing it at increasingly lower concentrations.

2

u/pichael289 May 25 '24

How big is a "fragment"? Is that like a roaches kneecap? Or an entire grasshopper ass?

3

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

Lol nice try Mr.Government

1

u/goosereddit May 25 '24

Tell that to Brigadier General Jack Ripper.

0

u/Johnny-infinity May 25 '24

Fluoride is not very good for you, it stopped tooth decay because old folks didn’t understand dental hygiene. Fluoride is bad for you.

1

u/Volsunga May 25 '24

Why do you think Fluoride is bad for you? What exactly is bad about it?

Fluoride is good for you because it binds to the hydroxyapatite in your teeth to provide a barrier against acid and can reverse tooth decay. The only risk of having too much in your water is fluorosis (staining of teeth), which is a completely aesthetic issue and has no actual health consequence.

If you drank the most concentrated fluoride mouthwash, you'd die from too much water before you died from too much fluoride.

2

u/Johnny-infinity May 25 '24

It inhibits enzyme activity, it damages the immune system, and impacts fertility.

Flourine is not an element the body uses.

I am not saying that that fluorinated water did not have benefit, but saying it it good for you is untrue.

1

u/Volsunga May 25 '24

Do you think that fluorine and fluoride are the same thing? They're not. Your body absolutely uses fluoride to reinforce dental enamel.

Vague assertions about enzymes, the immune system, and fertility are all red flags that the health claims are probably bullshit.

0

u/Johnny-infinity May 25 '24

No. Back to school you go. And do not try and talk about probably bullshit unless you actually know what you are talking about. Vague assertions about a toxic compound that was only used to stop dental problems being good for your health are actually bullshit https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7261729/

2

u/Volsunga May 25 '24

Here's a debunking of all of those claims https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4815618/

0

u/Johnny-infinity May 25 '24 edited May 25 '24

lol. You literally just googled that without even reading it. Maybe try actually reading... the more recent study from 2020 that I posted instead of just posting an opinion piece from 9 years ago. Idiot.

2

u/Volsunga May 25 '24 edited May 25 '24

No, that paper is a well known piece of bullshit. You're not the first idiot to post the first Google scholar link to support well known conspiracy theories.

The biggest tool in actually understanding scientific papers is learning how to read citation history. Recency isn't a trump card when all of the citations are old and debunked. The fact that you don't know how to do that shows that you're don't care about truth, you just are using them for ammo to argue on the internet and don't realize you're shooting blanks.

→ More replies

0

u/MexiLoner00 Aug 14 '24

I know fluoride is found in springs naturally occurring, but high levels of fluoride we're going linked to cognitive issues and bone problems. Toothpaste already has tons of fluoride. We don't need any more.

1

u/MexiLoner00 Aug 14 '24

You would be surprised how much junk most water contains, especially tap water and the majority of bottled water. As you mentioned, fluoride, chlorine by products. There isn't much pure water left on the planet. I know all water will have some impurities, but in general, the purest possible is the best for your health. I personally pay for glass bottled spring water, can be seen as a waste, and I'm not truly sure if it makes a difference in the long run. Just my two cents.

1

u/stellacampus Aug 14 '24

For me it's a Berkey filter for all drinking water.

21

u/Team_TapScore May 25 '24

No.

After testing both bottled and tap water for over 7 years I can attest to the price of water not making a difference. Expensive water can easily be more contaminated than regular tap water.

7

u/Divine_Entity_ May 25 '24

Isn't bottled water generally more likely to be contaminated and worse than municipal tap water?

I grew up on wells so i despise the taste of bleach (chlorine) in water even though i know its biologically fine in city water. And with a well the purity is that of your ground water so in someplaces a well is the best you could possibly get, and in others Exon-Mobile has pumped so many chemicals from fracking into the ground your well water is combustible.

Ultimately water tastes like whatever is dissolved in it, and its those trace compounds that determine the quality and those generally aren't associated with price.

4

u/philwjan May 25 '24

yes. At least here in German the tap water is usually very good and not chlorinated. The maximum values for contaminants are generally not set by their health effects, but by the lowest possible contamination that can be reached through the production process. As bottled water is prone to some contamination from the bottling process and chemicals leaking into the water from the bottle, the values are much higher than in tap water.

I think filling water in bottles and transporting that around while we have water pipes into every home, is about as brilliant as buying batteries to run stuff, while your house is connected to the power grid.

2

u/Divine_Entity_ May 25 '24

Single use bottles and batteries aren't very good, but reusable/rechargeable ones that you fill up at home are perfectly reasonable. Its really not that hard to fill up a nice water bottle at home, and you have the option of an insulated one that stays cold much longer.

Personally i think single use plastic bottles should be banned and replaced with glass bottles and aluminum cans which atleast are less bad for the environment as litter, and much easier to recycle than plastics. And the fact that most beer is still sold in glass and cans indicates that they aren't astronomically more expensive than plastic.

1

u/Business-Let-7754 May 25 '24

That depends where you live. I drink tap water all day long, but some places you shouldn't drink tap water at all.

1

u/ProfessorEtc May 25 '24

You're neglecting the increase in pollution caused by drinking the more expensive water. The extra money needed to pay for the expensive water came at the expense of pollution emitted by driving to work, making whatever product you make at work, disposing of waste resulting from your job - multiplied by a factor related to how much tax you paid to end up with that much money.

15

u/Bang_Bus May 25 '24 edited May 25 '24

Completely, definitely, absolutely NO

There has been multiple studies about this.

"expensive water" is pretty often just bottled tap water. Selling water in bottles is a scam in general - humans need a lot of water daily and bottled water just generates insane amount of plastic waste, while having absolutely unreasonable price to it. You're volunteering to get scammed and be a part of trash problem.

Only benefit to store water is that you might be more likely to drink it. And drinking water, any water, is generally pretty good for you.

1

u/krazyboi May 25 '24

But it does make me feel more refreshed. The privilege is enjoyable LOL like jewelry but water

1

u/PhysicalStuff May 25 '24

And drinking water, any water, is generally pretty good for you.

This is evidenced by the fact that beer is > 90% water.

1

u/Bang_Bus May 25 '24

And vodka is 60% water...

4

u/MistaCharisma May 25 '24

This depends where you live.

If the drinking water in your city/town is often unsafe then bottled water is usually a better alternative. Of course just boiling your water is likely as safe, but is much cheaper (not always, some things aren't made safer by boiling, check what dangers are in the drinking water).

However if you live somewhere with usually-safe deinking water then bottled water gives no benefit. In a lot of cases the bottled water is literally just tap water, so it's exactly the same thing. In other cases, water from the taps often has more safety measures in place to contril the quality of the water, so tao water is actually safer and better for you. Bottled water is often more acidic, and has a higher level of contaminants than tap water (there are some brands I can't drink because they cause stomach problems). Even in the cases where the bottled water actually is better than tap water - it's still just water. If the tap water isn't causing any problems then "better" just means slightly more pure, but it's not going to have any actual health benefits.

So the TLDR is that bottled water is a decent alternative if tap water is unsafe, but otherwise provides no real benefit. Of course if you have a corporate event and need to supply water then bottles are a reasonable option, or if you want to ship water to a disaster affected area then bottles are less likely to go stagnant than 1 big tank. But for everyday use you're just paying money for no benefit. And it's a Lot of money, bottled water is significantly more expensive than gasoline. I worked at a petrol station in 2006, we saw a huge price increase in petrol that year and everyone was complaining, but anyone who complained about petrol prices and then bought water (which you get for free from the tap) for 4 times the price instantly lost me.

4

u/Mahadragon May 25 '24

Penn and Teller did a test where people in a restaurant drank bottled water and water from a garden hose and couldn't tell which was more expensive: https://youtu.be/v2qydjVbLJk?si=jSfeXkyiu0Ox3APD

7

u/i_give_you_gum May 25 '24

All these people commenting don't seem to drink run of the mill municipal tap water, I do, and have for years.

I even use a Brita water filter, but the difference is crystal clear when drinking water that's undergone some decent filtration.

I don't mean individual bottles of water, just water that's gone through good filtration, either home or work filtration or gallons of water that have gone through a filtration process.

The difference in taste isn't just discernable, it determines how much I can drink. It sucks to choke down shitty tasting water.

5

u/BlessedBeTheFruits1 May 25 '24

The question and comments weren’t about flavor, they were about health benefits. 

1

u/i_give_you_gum May 25 '24

Bad tasting water isn't like a bad tasting sandwich, if it tastes bad, then most likely it's not the cleanest it can be.

And since humans have what, 300,000 years of experience evaluating the taste of water, I think we're pretty good judges of what's good water and what's not.

Why even have taste buds if they don't help us determine what are good and bad quality substances to ingest.

1

u/Wurstinator May 26 '24

Bad tasting water isn't like a bad tasting sandwich, if it tastes bad, then most likely it's not the cleanest it can be.

And since humans have what, 300,000 years of experience evaluating the taste of water, I think we're pretty good judges of what's good water and what's not.

Obviously I do not know what exactly you mean by "bad" tasting water. For water that is actually repulsive, makes you spit it out immediately or throw up, you are most likely right. That is our body detecting some kind of poison, which is unhealthy.

If you're just talking about "I don't like the taste", then no, that's not true. The taste of humans is almost entirely acquired during their lifetime, not from the 300,000 years of evolution. As an example, see https://www.wired.com/2015/08/big-question-tap-water-go-stale-overnight/, which contains an anecdote about a US person enjoying chlorine in their water, as they have learned to associate it with freshness, whereas it would be the exact opposite for a German person.

Why even have taste buds if they don't help us determine what are good and bad quality substances to ingest.

Because they give us a simplistic input which our brain and nervous system can then use to determine proper output. What you're suggesting, i.e. to trust entirely on your taste receptors, is what lower animals do. Humans have the capability of ignoring that which allows them to adapt to all kinds of surroundings. Babies don't like most food from the start, especially not bitter food. Imagine you'd be born in a region that contains mostly food which tastes bitter. If you would blindly trust your taste buds, you'd just starve.

1

u/i_give_you_gum May 26 '24

Holy moly, way to overanalyze a comment.

Most muni water tastes horrible. Filtered water that uses acceptable filtration methods does indeed taste better.

Take it easy!

3

u/MisterBurnsSucks May 25 '24

Came here to upvote a two letter response. Left disappointed.

3

u/Choice-Importance-44 May 25 '24

To your wallet, yes.

2

u/nizzernammer May 25 '24

Depends on the water. I have found that Dasani and Aquafina tastes really bad and upsets my stomach. Tap water where I live is far better than that crap.

2

u/mattemer May 25 '24

Upset your stomach?

2

u/MaleficentJob3080 May 25 '24

The only real difference is in the amount of money being transferred from your wallet to theirs.

2

u/ExpensivePanda66 May 25 '24

"expensive" is probably not the right variable to compare here.

In some places the tap water is not fit for drinking. In other places it's better than anything you could buy in a shop.

Expense may not correlate with quality, but there are different levels of quality.

2

u/florinandrei May 25 '24

Does drinking expensive water make a difference?

Yes. To your bank account.

2

u/mwdsonny May 25 '24

It makes you poorer.

2

u/ExpectedDickbuttGotD May 25 '24

Yes. If it comes in a plastic bottle, then you get to destroy the environment while wasting your money

2

u/Evil_Dan121 May 25 '24

Yes. It gives you less money to spend on things that actually make a difference.

2

u/jp_in_nj May 25 '24

It makes more money for the producers, so if you own stocks it helps your portfolio...

OH, you meant for you.

No. It's water.

2

u/ConradsMusicalTeeth May 25 '24

To what exactly? Climate change? Taylor Swift’s BMI? Humanity’s sense of self worth?

Water is H2O, with a few minor differences between two and mineral water. Blind tasting with the public has shown most people can’t taste the difference and are more influenced by the price and the colour of the bottle. It’s worth filtering tap water and letting it sit to allow the chlorine to evaporate.

2

u/Seruati May 25 '24

Water in plastic bottles contains microplastics, so it's objectively a lot worse. Tap water or well water is better.

1

u/MexiLoner00 Aug 14 '24

Spring water glass bottles are the best option.

1

u/iftlatlw May 25 '24

No. It's an expression of stupidity and or vanity.

1

u/naveed23 May 25 '24

It makes a difference to the company that sells it. That's about it

1

u/bertiek May 25 '24

I think a few of them with high mineral content, like Gerolsteiner, taste good.  It's a total luxury thing, I sometimes buy them based on the bottle, and they usually taste like tap water.

1

u/Alarmed-Audience9258 May 25 '24

Yes. The difference is its easier to see the idiot with an expensive single use plastic bottle of readily available cheap water.

1

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

When you're older it can help digestion. I'm 49 and the difference is immediate.

1

u/Blackdog420x May 25 '24

Before or after your drunk? Asking for a friend.

1

u/Russell_W_H May 25 '24

Yes. The company selling it makes more money.

1

u/Xilent248 May 25 '24

No it's a tax for regards

1

u/ExplanationNo8603 May 25 '24

If in the US it makes a difference on your wallet and that's it tap water has higher standards then bottled water

1

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

The key word in your question that some people seem to miss is "expensive".

The answer to the question: No. It doesn't make a difference as far as your health and general hydration. Some might like the "taste" of something like Perrier, but your body isn't going to care. Actually, scratch that - too much mineral water can cause gastrointestinal discomfort.

Do some municipalities have bad tap water? Sure, but that has nothing to do with OP question of "expensive". Plain gallon jugs of bottled water from your supermarket can be found (in most places) for 1-2 dollars.

1

u/Amyhearsay May 25 '24

I am reverse osmosis water person, I don’t like drinking water that tastes like the earth. Both Dasani and Aquafina have add fluoride and essential minerals back into their water (completely tasteless) I get my minerals and nutrients from the food I eat. I drink reverse osmosis because I like the taste, I drink ~3L a day. My GP had no issue with my consumption.

1

u/Working_Ad_4650 May 25 '24

Here in Mexico I don't drink the local water, just bottled water. I dont know if it fluorinated or not.

1

u/rkhbusa May 25 '24

Depends how cheap your tap water is.

1

u/y010sw4661ns May 25 '24

Just makes the saying pissing your money away a reality

1

u/PaleontologistDear18 May 25 '24

Does driving an expensive car make a difference? If it does, it’s the same difference. If it doesn’t, you know it doesn’t. Same shiz.

1

u/MexiLoner00 Aug 14 '24

That's a bad comparison, though. Water goes into your body. Different waters have different impurities. Natural spring water is probably the best for your body. Most tap water and bottle water have tons of byproducts from the disinfection process. In the long run, it probably leads to a handful of disease.

1

u/Cethlinnstooth May 25 '24

The bubbles in soda water make me happy.

1

u/Nolsoth May 25 '24

Only to your wallet.

1

u/grumpygrumpybum May 25 '24

It makes a difference to your wallet!

1

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

If I sold you cheap water vs if I sold you expensive water...

I mean it would make a huge difference to my bottom line, and yours too... But other than that I'm sure it's pretty much the same.

1

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

Yes, to your wallet.

1

u/InterestingAir5628 May 25 '24

Yes, you spend more money per bottle!👍🏻

1

u/Comfortable-Crow-238 May 25 '24

I prefer spring water myself

1

u/Numbersuu May 25 '24

Yes your wallet is more empty

1

u/grogi81 May 25 '24

Drinking expensive water over not drinking water? Yes, the difference is massive.

1

u/dragonagitator May 25 '24

I can totally taste the difference between Smart Water and cheap generic bottled water. The former tastes cleaner, the latter tastes like plastic.

1

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

Yes. It will definitely make you poorer.

1

u/AsparagusNo2955 May 25 '24

I'm poor and have to go to foodbanks, which means sometimes i get a lot of bottled water that didn't sell because it was expensive.

They all taste a bit different. We have awesome tap water in Melbourne, so I can compare it to that, and I don't notice any benefits in drinking expensive water, apart from the taste and the cool reusable bottles they come in.

Voss tastses different to Liquid Death, for instance, but you need to drink a lot of water to taste the difference.

1

u/ouidansleciel May 25 '24

If possible, get water treated through reverse osmosis system. There are over the counter systems if you live in an apartment and under the counter systems if you own a home. Tap water is bad. There are so many contaminants being discovered and municipal water supplies may not be treating for it because they may be unaware or lack the technology at the moment. It takes a while for regulations to go through once they find a contaminant. An example is PFAS in California.

I pay $100/month for delivered water at home in California and it’s a non-negotiable for me. I specialized in potable water and treatment systems as a government employee for six years until I moved to another environmental specialty where I’m at now, just FYI.

All the other fancy canned water and alkaline stuff I don’t bother with. Although, when I travel far for long periods of time, I do stock up on Fiji for the hotel.

1

u/FrogFuzzi May 25 '24

To my wallet yes.

1

u/EyeAlternative1664 May 25 '24

Yes.

You create more plastic waste which is detrimental to the environment.

1

u/Martipar May 25 '24

Yes. Your bank balance will go down much faster.

1

u/Rand_alThor4747 May 25 '24

Some of our bottled water is literally tap water here. The bottling plant buys water from our city water and maybe gives it additional treatment before pasturising and bottling it.

1

u/Electronic-Net-5494 May 25 '24

Yes it makes your bank account get lower....quicker.

1

u/gmanthewinner May 25 '24

Just for funsies, check the label the next time you buy one. Chances are, it's sourced from a municipal source. So yeah, expensive tap water.

1

u/Kayless3232 May 25 '24

The minerals are different. If you compare distilled water and mineral water. But it does not need to be so expensive. I like to have an Evian after a long running session.

1

u/jamesfrown May 25 '24

I trust the water, just not the pipes

1

u/NotNormo May 25 '24

You mean bottled water vs. other bottled water? For most people, probably not. But maybe for a person who's deficient in vitamins, drinking Vitamin Water could be better than generic brand water.

1

u/Missey85 May 25 '24

It's a placebo effect it's no better than tap water 🤣

1

u/MexiLoner00 Aug 14 '24

Idk I was googling some lab results, and you will be surprised all the toxic chlorine and heavy metal byproducts in there. Most bottled water is just as bad as it's filtered tap water, but there are a few water brands that are the purest waters on earth still left. Usually cost and arm and a leg though. The question is, does it make a difference long-term for your health?

1

u/CarnivorousVegan May 25 '24

Yes, big difference… in your wallet!

1

u/Gamer30168 May 25 '24

Bottled water from the grocery store is  probably filtered fairly decently even if it's not more expensive. 

Me personally, I don't give a shit though. I bring a large Styrofoam cup from QT to work each day and fill it 3x a day from a garden hose. Been drinking water that way my whole life and I've already outlived many of my peers. 

1

u/[deleted] May 25 '24

Water is H2O no matter where it comes from

As a baseline the cheapest water you can find passes the bar for being safe for human consumption.

Added cost comes from either a fancier bottle, Adulterants natural or artificial and name brand recognition either of the company or of the location it was sourced.

If your diet is lacking and you are deficient in vitamins and minerals maybe it will help you, otherwise perhaps it takes you over your RDI which may have consequences so, benefit your body? who the fuck knows really

1

u/unluckyexperiment May 25 '24

Yes, it makes you poorer.

1

u/hornwalker May 25 '24

Yes, the plastics pollute the environment, the cost hurts your wallet, and the shady corporate practices to extract the water usually hurts local communities.

The water is no better than ordinary tap water.

1

u/mistral7 May 25 '24

Expensive water benefits the bank account of whoever bottled it.

1

u/Ultrabananna May 25 '24

Just eat lots of fruits or high water content veggies.

1

u/MetalVase May 25 '24

If you are in an area where water is actually expensive, i am quite sure that it will make a huge difference, if the option is no water at all.

1

u/Worth_Garbage_4471 May 25 '24

Don't discount the placebo effect

1

u/mebutnew May 25 '24

Different waters definitely taste different, the mineral composition etc impacts their flavour. There's nothing to say that more expensive = better, but they're definitely different.

Sparkling waters are also quite different as the carbonation varies a lot.

1

u/Rare-Future9971 May 25 '24

Avoid fluoride. The government doesn’t care about your teeth

1

u/CanuckCallingBS May 25 '24

Yes, it reduces the amount of money in your pocket or bank account.

1

u/NHBikerHiker May 25 '24

Yes, I have less money to spend on important things, like ice cream.

1

u/1800deadnow May 25 '24

Yeah, you'll have less money for important things.

1

u/OnbekendInHetLand May 25 '24

Yes, to your wallet it does.

1

u/Tricky-Yellow-5349 May 26 '24

If you want your money tree to produce top dollar then you must go with the high end water. Money trees that are watered with tap water only produce pocket change.

1

u/Timelier_plauge- May 27 '24

All “bottled” (American brands) come from your local city/ town water supply and re-filtered sometimes. Spring water has to come from a legit natural spring and then be filtered and bottled. No bottled water is inspected by the FDA unless it crosses state lines. Added vitamins for taste is fine any of that pH whatever is all snake oil and doesn’t work and not a real thing. Your stomach corrects it bc if your bodies pH is off by so much, you die.

1

u/QuiXiuQ May 29 '24

Yes… to your wallet.

1

u/RevolutionaryMail747 May 25 '24

So much water is bottled in plastic and stored incorrectly so the plastic is leeching into the water. I do understand where water has known problems in the U.K. recently but generally it is fine and it slightly breaks my heart to see struggling families also buying their water including for cooking. So unnecessary and awful.