Bottled water is a thriving industry. Many people buy it for convenience and taste instead of drinking tap water. Although producers often tout bottled water as being purer or better, there is no consistent evidence that it is better for you than tap water.
Purity
One reason why you may drink bottled water is that you think it is "purer" and safer than tap water. Although some bottled water may have fewer potentially dangerous contaminants than tap water, this is not true across the board. According to the Food & Water Watch website, a recent study that tested the various bottled water brands for contaminants found that approximately 25 percent had microbial or chemical contamination higher than allowed by state regulations.
Fluoride
A major difference between bottled and tap water is the presence of fluoride. In the United States, communities add fluoride to tap water because it helps to strengthen teeth and reduces your risk of tooth decay. Bottled water often does not have the additive. In some cases, bottled water comes from the same sources as tap water, so it might have fluoride. However, bottled water purified by distillation or reverse osmosis will lose much of the mineral.
Added Minerals
Some brands of bottled water have added nutrients. For example, some have amino acids, vitamins, electrolytes and other substances as additives. These offer nutritional benefits. Not all brands have added nutrients, however, so you need to check the label. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires all bottled water labels to include a list of additives.
Considerations
If you prefer the taste or find it more convenient than carrying around a reusable bottle with tap water, drinking bottled water may work well for you. But, over all, bottled water is not nutritionally superior to tap water and lacks fluoride. Additionally, bottled water is more expensive, so you may find yourself spending much more money for water that has few, if any, additional benefits.
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