By Elena Voropay

We are made of water: 75% of our brains, 95% of our blood and 100% of our sweat and tears. We can last only a couple of days, so water convenience becomes paramount. Bottled Water industry sensed the demand and made it big business.. Australians buy approximately 700 million litres of bottled water annually- twice the amount of that six years ago. The health benefits are pure, but are the marketing tricks worth the price?

• There are different types of bottled water available. What is the difference?

Spring water must come from underground. But it’s not necessarily untreated and it doesn’t necessarily come from the picturesque location implied by the graphics on the label. Unless the label specifies that the water has been ‘bottled at source’, it’s probably been transported to a bottling plant in a bulk tanker. Many spring waters are filtered and some may be chemically disinfected (usually with ozone).

Artesian water is similar, except that the water probably comes from deeper underground. (Artesian water is confined underground between layers of impervious rock and is under pressure, so it comes to the surface without pumping.)

Purified water could be tap water that’s been distilled (a process that removes almost everything that’s not H2O) or otherwise treated to remove bacteria, dissolved organic material and minerals. Some brands, though, are purified spring water.

• How do the additives in bottled water (such as magnesium, bicarbonate and other vitamins and minerals) provide better health benefits than pure tap water?

Knowledge of the terrific benefits of vitamins and minerals drives us to the supplement isles of the supermarkets and makes us choose all the vitamin and mineral fortified foods we can find. But we forget that just because a certain nutrient promotes good health, more of it is not better and overconsumption disturbs the balance and is more dangerous than deficiency.

Certain brands try to sell their bottles by adding minute amounts of beneficial additives making you pay more. You get more micro-nutrients from complete healthy meals. Water, both bottled or tap, has only minute amounts and you are better off eating natural fruits and vegetables for that purpose. But if the idea of nourishing your body with Potassium and Magnesium gives you a reason to drink more water – go for it. After all, water is what every cell craves all the time.

• What are the main types of additives put into bottled water and what purpose do they serve?

The additives used in bottled water depend on the marketing strategy. You may find water with added electrolyles (Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium) promising better sports performance, vitamins B, C, Zinc and antioxidants for increased vitality, but these are all chemically derived and you get a lot more of these from natural foods or from the separately sold pill.

Other ingredients sound interesting, but may benefit you only in theory, have no proven effect, are not regulated and may actually be dangerous. For example, L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, ChromeMate is sold for weight loss, Glucuronolactone, Ginkgo biloba, Ginseng, Guarana for energy and alertness. Oxygenated water is not any better than regular and your body will get more O2 from a walk in the park.

• Is bottled water better than tap?

If you want to get more out of the drink than what plain tap water has to offer, have a 100 percent fruit or vegetable juice instead. If you want water and have some extra money to spend – get a bottled water, but consider that it comes at a great environmental cost of fossil fuels used in the packaging and distribution and plastic packaging may have some health implications which raised the concern of Naturopaths.

Tap water is naturally filled with micro-nutrients and most of the time, Australians shouldn't be concerned about the safety of what they get out of the tap, as it is regulated according to The Australian Drinking Water Guidelines. Not sure or don't like the taste? Get a water filter, fill a jug and let it sit for an hour, add a slice of lemon and enjoy!

• How do you feel about the fluoridation of tap water?

In Australia, consumption of bottled water has doubled over the past six years and tooth decay is on the rise. Dentists say that the reason is that children drink more bottled water and sodas instead of fluoridated tap water. Even the Prime Minister John Howard encourages fluoride in tap to put a stop on the worsening tooth decay epidemic.

Fluoride is a naturally occurring mineral that is added to water to promote mineralization of teeth and bones and prevention of tooth decay. Strong evidence has shown that fluoridated drinking water is an effective, low-cost way to strengthen teeth. However, critics argue that getting more of this mineral than you need may result in dental and skeletal fluorosis contributing to mottled tooth enamel and brittle bones. When the mineral accumulates in the body, it may contribute to arthritis, bone pathology interfering with calcium metabolism, reduce thyroid function, impair digestion and enzyme production, weaken the immune system and contribute to cancer.

Most foods naturally contain this mineral, so whether or not it is beneficial to add more to drinking water is still a controvercial issue. Femember that you need Fluoride in moderation – recommendations range from 0.6mg for infants to 10mg for adults of Fluoride per day, and most people get around 7mg in "optimally fluoridated" areas.