Water: The Most Abundant Wellness Product

Water, seemingly the most standard and straight forward thing we use has gotten an upgrade. From pricey luxury brand drinking water to custom shower head filters, tap is no longer the standard.

This week’s post will be a bit different from previous, with a mix of history and statistics along with my latest recommendations, finds, and purchases all relating to water.

I recently watched the film Dark Waters the 2019 dramatization of the famous case against DuPont, a large chemical manufacturer that produced Teflon for various manufactured goods, most notably cooking pans. The company had known for years that C8 and other PFAS used in the production of Teflon to be toxic to humans for decades and continued to dump these chemicals into a landfill near one of their plants near a local water source. Employees of DuPont and residents and animals in the area fell victim to their harmful effects, contracting various cancers and autoimmune diseases, often leading to death. In 2017, DuPont had settled 3,550 civil cases for $671 million related to their plant in Parkersburg, WV, the subject of the film. While the full health effects of this “dark water” are still unknown, it is expected that 97% of America’s population today has traces of these harmful forever chemicals in their blood stream.

Although the DuPont scandal represents an extreme case of contamination in water, aging pipes, increased use of chemicals in agriculture and landscaping, more have led to an increased focus on the purification of our water sources. At least 45% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have one of more types of harmful forever chemicals or PFAS. These chemicals along with chlorine and other heavy metals that are present in our water sources can cause various issues from our skin and hair health to life threatening cancers and diseases. Growing awareness of these contaminants has increased demand for purification systems that can effectively remove these substances.

In home tap filters, pitchers, shower heads, and more have become a staple in many homes. Jolie is a company targeting customers who have suffered from skin and hair issues due to the rising levels of chlorine and other chemicals in municipal water supplies. Their shower head filter has been clinically proven to reduce hair shedding and improve skin complexion compared to your average shower head. Other companies like Culligan aim to provide cleaner safer water to homes through reverse osmosis systems, water dispensers, and water softeners. I personally use a Brio Water Cooler in our home which filters out sediment and harmful chemicals from our drinking water, but there are many different filtration systems out there from built in for all household pipes to as simple as a 2 gallon Brita filter that lives in every college kid’s in the fridge. What’s important is that you are conscience about the sources of your tap water and making sure to use filters when necessary.

Beyond making simply clean water accessible a new trend has emerged fixated on upgrading our water. Many are now not only looking to purify their water but actually make it more beneficial for their health with expensive supplements and luxury branded water beverages. From the fancy water TikTok trends to the billion-dollar flavored water brand Liquid Death, enhancement of water is the latest thing within the health and wellness community. As sugar has become enemy number one and sodas have gone out of style amongst the most health conscience consumers are trying to find more ways to spruce up their beverages. As I see it there are two camps of fancy drinking water: the tasters and the enhancers.

Tasters: Individuals who miss the sweet, sugary goodness of a soda but want to choose the healthy alternative.

Aerflo – recently launched portable water carbonation bottle to help reduce waste and make every drink a little bubblier, think personal SodaStream

Liquid Death – launched in 2019, this company has grown to a $1.4B valuation in part thanks to their clever branding and delicious flavors ranging from simply sparkling water to flavored beverages such as Convicted Melon and Severed Lime.

LMNT – zero sugar electrolyte brand focused on their signature salty powder packs containing sodium, potassium, and magnesium to help restore hydration

Lemon Perfect – with the slogan “Water never tasted this good” this new water brand has taken lemon juice and transformed water into a tasty, hydrating beverage that comes in multiple flavors

Now there are a whole host of pre and probiotic drinks and soda alternatives not mentioned in this newsletter, but since our focus here is on water, we will save those for another time.

Enhancers: Those who were never big soda drinkers but want to up their water game and infuse their beverages with even more vitamins, minerals, and supplements to hydrate while getting healthier.

Armra – the leading, wholly bioavailable, research-baked bovine colostrum, commonly called “liquid gold”, it is the first nutrition we receive in life and contains all the essential nutrients our bodies need to thrive; most of which cannot be found in any other natural source

Buoy – digestion drops are a 3-in-1 herbal, enzyme-rich and high mineral digestive aid that relieves, bloat, gas, and IBS symptoms

Water & Wellness – quinton remineralization supplement, said to expedite the regeneration of the organism by substituting a depleted inner medium, replacing it with a natural and identical equivalent, thus promoting optimum cell development and activity

Higher Dose – detox drops with liquid chlorophyll deigned to bind and draw out toxins in the body as you sweat

Water makes up roughly 60% of our bodies and 71% of the Earth’s surface, so clearly it is an important compound in our lives. Having access to pure water is a daily struggle for many around the world and even in developed countries like the US due to contamination. Beyond access to clean water, consumers have become fascinated with upgrading their water. Making water into more than just a hydration source, creating a new type of health elixir. All that to say, water is clearly important (no pun intended) and the more focus on it the better, even if it does lead to a slew of luxury water brands and expensive mix ins.