Americans Drank More Water Than Soda For First Time in Recent History

By Heather Callaghan, Editor

When you are constantly barraged with news of the “obesity epidemic” it’s easy to think Americans are guzzling themselves to death with sugar and aspartame-laden drinks. But it looks like an eye-opening critical mass has taken place. For the first time in modern memory Americans chose bottled water over soda pop in 2016 – and hydration over obesity.

According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, the tipping point took place when bottled water sales grew to 12.8 billion gallons (about 39 gallons of bottled water per person), versus the estimated 38.5 gallons of soft drinks. (source)

High-fructose corn syrup, made from GMO ingredients and found in nearly all pop drinks, is now associated for being linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, diabetes and obesity. Obesity affects up to 35% of American adults, 17% of all U.S. children and adolescents, with 34% of adults being considered overweight. Instead of extreme dieting, however, many people are waking up to realize that if they cut back or eliminate one habit such as soda, they can see profound changes in their weight and health. When people are on the go and faced with a choice to hydrate, bottled water makes more sense despite its drawbacks.

Beverage Marketing’s CEO, Michael C. Bellas, (who echoed my college Management teacher who was incredulous when bottled water came out) said,

Bottled water effectively reshaped the beverage marketplace – where once it would have been unimaginable to see Americans walking down the street carrying plastic bottles of water, or driving around with them in their cars’ cup holders, now that’s the norm.

As far as good habits and obesity rates go, this is splendid news. Now, to address the environmentalist sneers I hear cropping up behind that recycling bin over there…

Is it worth it?

When it comes to your health, it’s up to you to weigh the pros and cons and come up with your own cost benefit analysis for any decision you make. This conclusion was also offered by scientist Chris Exley who discovered that some of his Alzheimer’s test subjects regained cognition after consuming Volvic mineral water. This was because some shelf-stable mineral water brands contain a special type of silica that binds aluminum and carries it safely out of the body. Although it comes in plastic and one could come up with other reasons not to buy it, this is a simple and enjoyable way to keep aluminum out of your body. Consider how many soft drinks come in aluminum cans.

Viewed in this light, shelf-stable spring water is a great choice for your health if you do not have a filtration system set up. We care about the environment and are concerned about the dangers of plastics too, but rather than hold yourself back because of systemic mismanagement of garbage, we can still call for the removal of BPA or fluoride from bottles and call for more innovation when it comes to recycling and using biodegradable materials.

Valuable resources for more information:

Is Fluoride In Your Brand Of Bottled Water?

Kombucha Makers Are Ticking Off The Soda & Alcohol Industries

WATCH – What a Scientist Wants You to Know About Alzheimer’s, Aluminum and Elimination

Cure for Obesity, Depression and Cancer

Medical Medium: Secrets Behind Chronic and Mystery Illness and How to Finally Heal

DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Heather Callaghan is an independent researcher, writer, speaker and food freedom activist. She is the Editor and co-founder of NaturalBlaze as well as a certified Self-Referencing IITM Practitioner. 

Get a nifty FREE eBook – Like at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.