It seems like only yesterday that the water bottle craze broke out...  Whether you were one of the early adopters or someone who insisted they'd never be caught drinking bottled water, I post these thoughts for you to consider because the bottled water craze is far from over. 

There has been a lot of progress made with respect to bottled water.  For example, gone are the days when water bottles were made of so much wasted plastic they were almost bullet proof.  Gone, too, are the days when bottled water  was so over purified that all the good and important minerals and electrolytes you would expect to find in natural spring water were zapped right out of it.

Water bottle Craze 2.0 is certainly upon us now, with Pepsi and other companies coming out with water bottles made of 20% less plastic and with Glaceau coming out with it's vitamin-enriched Vitawater.  (Soon the marketplace will start offering vitamin-enriched carbonated beverages like Diet Pepsi Plus! Now that's a scary thought!!)

Personally, I think drinking bottled water has its place.  There are times when drinking tap water is not convenient or nearly impossible, like when you're in a car, on an airplane, or just on a walk around the neighborhood.  On the other hand, tap water is plumbed into our homes and businesses for our drinking pleasure and comes to us at a fraction of the cost of bottled water.

When considering drinking bottled water, it's important to think about the following:

• Does my bottled water have the the electrolytes and minerals my body needs?  - If you are drinking distilled water or the labeling on the bottle doesn't make it clear to you what is in and what's left out of the water, it's best to call the manufacturer.
• Is my bottled water providing me with an adequate amount of the anti-cavity ion called fluoride? - Again, if you don't know, call the manufacturer.
• Are my children drinking too much bottled water without supplementing their electrolyte and fluoride needs?
  
• Am I drinking from the new kind of water bottles that are made of 20% less plastic?
• Am I recycling my water bottles?

If you are interested in additional information on drinking bottled water, you are welcome to read the PDF below, called "Facts about Bottled Water"; it was put out by the ADA and emphasizes some additional other important points.

Additional Study:

• Facts about Bottled Water (American Dental Association)
• Bottled water (Wikipedia)
• Physiological importance of electrolytes (Wikipedia)