A lot of people can relate to the struggle of drinking water. As funny as it sounds, some people don’t like the taste of water. However, we all need water to remain hydrated and for the body to keep running and performing its functions.
On TikTok, flavored water has become super popular, with videos getting millions of views. The hashtag #FlavoredWater has over a million views. But, while these drinks look fun and tasty, it’s important to know they can sometimes have a lot of sugar or artificial ingredients that might not be great for your health if you drink too much of them.
The Ultimate Flavored Water Recipe
I believe the primary premise of flavored water is to be creative in a way that plain ol’ water becomes more appealing to people who would never drink water unless they were dehydrated. To make TikTok flavored water, creators such as Joseph Anthonii typically begin with a base of plain water or sparkling water.
Then he adds various flavors, such as cotton candy-flavored syrup with edible glitters. The drink mix flavoring, which is added to the base water, is the show stealer. He has featured a couple of drink mix brands like Cherry Crush, and Icee Cherry Zero Sugar above others to create this concoction drink.
For added natural flavors and vibrant colors, Joseph occasionally adds fresh fruits and vegetables like cucumber, citrus, and berries. Joseph clearly enjoys layering the various flavorings of the drink mix. Using varied densities of the ingredients, he creates cool layers where lighter things, like citrus slices, float on top and heavy syrups or fruits sink to the bottom. Because Joseph loves how his drink looks, he usually uses clear glasses or bottles to show off the layers of color. Ice cubes, adorable straws, or fruit garnishes are the last touches that will make Joseph’s concoction water look even more appealing.
Is Flavored Water Dangerous?
While TikTok’s flavored water videos look fun, you should check out the ingredients in some of these mixes. Many of them have additives like artificial sweeteners, such as acesulfame potassium, and thickeners like maltodextrin.
Artificial sweeteners, like acesulfame potassium, make things taste sweet without adding calories, but scientists don’t know all the long-term health effects yet. Specifically, how Ace-K affects the gut microbiome, which is the community of bacteria living in our intestines, is not well understood.
In a study, scientists examined the impact of Ace-K on the gut microbiome and changes in the chemicals found in feces using two methods: 16S rRNA sequencing to analyze the bacteria and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to study the metabolites. They found that consuming Ace-K disrupted the gut microbiome in CD-1 mice after four weeks. The effects included weight gain, changes in the types and functions of gut bacteria, and alterations in fecal metabolites.
On the other hand, maltodextrin is used to thicken drinks. When you eat maltodextrins, they break down into glucose really fast and get absorbed in your small intestine. This quick absorption can affect your metabolism and overall health. Replacing regular starches with maltodextrins can cause your blood sugar to spike after meals, which is considered undesirable for health.
Is There An Alternative For Artificial Flavored Water?
When you want to stay hydrated in a healthy way, it’s good to go for natural flavors instead of artificial ones. You can flavor your water with things like slices of fruit such as lemon or berries, or even add herbs and spices.
If you like your water a little sweeter, you can use natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit extract. They give a bit of sweetness without adding a bunch of sugar.
Conclusion
In the end, flavored water trends can be fun to try out, especially on platforms like TikTok. But it’s important to focus on healthy habits when it comes to staying hydrated. Stick to plain water or add natural flavors like fruits, herbs, or spices instead of artificial stuff. Pay attention to what’s in your drinks by reading labels, and go for water over sugary options to keep yourself healthy.
