Should You Be Jumping on TikTok’s Flavored Water Trend?
While WaterTok aims to encourage drinking more water, it may do more harm than good.
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First there was chlorophyll water, then magnesium water, and now the latest TikTok trend is a strange spin on flavored water. These are not typical flavored waters with a squeeze of lemon or lime, but rather water loaded up with sweet syrups and additives to create a specific vibe. For example, one TikToker craving a “fair” vibe adds Blue Gatorade Zero powder and cotton candy-flavored syrup to her water. Another TikToker calls her blue and yellow powdery mixture “ocean water.” But are these flavored concoctions actually healthy?
Why Is Staying Hydrated Important?
Water is needed in every cell, tissue and organ in order to function properly. This calorie-free fluid makes up a large percentage of the blood and carries essential nutrients to your cells. Water also carries waste materials to your kidneys and discards it through the urine. It also helps regulate your body temperature through sweat, and promotes healthy stool which keeps your digestive system running smoothly.
Drinking water helps prevent dehydration. You lose water daily by normal processes like having regular bowel movements, making urine and sweating. However, if you lose more fluid than you take in, your body may not have enough water to function at its peak performance due to dehydration. As such, you may feel symptoms such as a headache, dizziness, constipation and fatigue. It may also interfere with mood, memory and cognitive ability.
How Much Water Do You Need to Drink?
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 11.5 cups of water per day for women and 15.5 cups per day for men. These amounts include fluids you intake from food, which is about 20 percent of the daily recommendation. Taking this into account, women need to drink about nine cups of fluids per day and men about 12.5 cups of fluids per day.
The type of fluids you consume matter. The 2020-2025 dietary guidelines for Americans recommends that water be your primary fluid, followed by low-calorie options such as seltzer, or even flavored waters (with few to no calories). The dietary guidelines also recommend nutrient-dense fluids like milk and 100-percent juice, as they help provide important nutrients. The guidelines do warn against consuming beverages made with added sugar, and recommend a maximum of 10-percent of total calories come from added sugar. This means the average American on a 2,000 calorie diet should consume up to 200 calories of added sugar throughout the day.
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Should You Flavor Your Water?
As a registered dietitian, I love the idea of flavoring your water but with fresh fruit, citrus and herbs like strawberries, lemon, cucumbers, pineapple or mint. These are natural flavors that actually add some vitamins and minerals to your water.
Adding two packets of sugar-filled Kool-Aid and one cup of granulated sugar, like this TikToker does, is exactly what is recommended not to do. As for adding flavored electrolyte packets, your body does an excellent job balancing electrolytes on its own unless you’re exercising for over an hour at a medium or greater intensity, or exercising in the heat.
“Electrolyte replenishment is vital to athletic performance, but you need to pay attention to the source. All the electrolyte powders, concentrates and tablets on the market are formulated differently. Some offer excessively high or low doses of electrolytes like sodium, potassium and magnesium, which may not be what be what you are looking to drink,” says certified athletic trainer and sports dietitian for Quinnipiac University in Hamden, CT, Dana Angelo White.
Lastly, as for those sugar-free artificially sweetened packs, I am not against them if you’re trying to keep added sugar in check. However, many TikTokers add several packs at a time. As always, moderation is key – and sugar-free syrups and powders are no exception. Angelo White reminds us that “high doses of sugar OR artificial sweeteners can cause stomach upset during exercise.”
Bottom Line: Getting creative with your water once in a while can be fun, but for regular hydration, choose plain water or infuse with fresh fruit, vegetables or herbs that provide nutrients and natural flavors.
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