I had a discussion with my co-worker a week ago. She is working on switching away from soda and her husband had purchased some ‘Clear American Sparkling Water‘ for her as an alternative. She brings it in and asks what I think.
Here’s the ingredient list: Filtered Carbonated Water, Citric Acid, Natural Flavor, Potassium Citrate, Aspartame, Potassium Benzoate (A Preservative), Acesulfame
Potassium. Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine.
First – it’s a good thing that she is switching from soda! Cutting back on all that sugar and empty calories can only be a benefit. However, we want to make sure that what she’s replacing it with is something that is a benefit.
Enter my occupational dilemma! Part of me really wants to just affirm anything people do that is a positive step in taking ownership over their health. I also have an obligation to help them evaluate the ingredient list with evidence based information.
My major concern with the ingredient list comes from the artificial sweeteners. So I consulted one of my favorite sources, the Center for Science in the Public Interest. They have a simple list called the “Summary of the Safety of all Additives.” This list ranks additives as ‘safe’, ‘cut back’ or ‘avoid’.
The problem with Clear American Sparkling Water is that Aspartame and Acesulfame Potassium are both on the list of food additives to avoid. So is this drink “healthier” than regular soda? That’s a tough call, and it will depend on each individual and what their health goals are.
My take is the following:
- Our bodies need water.
- Our taste buds like sweetness.
- Consuming sweetened beverages (whether sweetened with sugar or with artificial sweeteners) on a regular basis causes our taste buds to get accustomed to foods that are super sweet.
- Having taste buds that prefer super sweet foods and beverages makes it difficult to enjoy the subtle flavors of fruits, vegetables and plain water.
- Having sweetened drinks is probably fine in moderation (twice a week or less). Whether you choose sugar sweetened or artificially sweetened drinks is a personal choice.
If you want to consume beverages other than water on a regular basis, I would consider the following unsweetened beverages as healthy options:
- coffee
- milk (1% or skim cow’s milk, soymilk, almond milk or rice milk)
- unsweet tea (for my take on bottled tea, read my article here: Is Bottled Lipton® Green Tea Healthy?)
- carbonated water (for a little sweetness, drink with a splash of 100% juice). LaCroix Water is actually becoming pretty popular and a great option for an unsweetened beverage in a can.
What’s your favorite water?
– Julie
P.S. You can also make your own flavored water! Check out my tutorial.
I’m sorry but what is right and what is wrong ? It seems that every few years something deemed bad is now good and good deemed bad. I picture in my mind people in white coats performing great science for our well being. But in reality they are not in fact they are most likely wearing a suit and gathering up bits and pieces from random companies that have done some science for their own benefit such as sales, lawsuits, and advertising. I wish a true qualified unpaid panel of PhD holding dietician’s with real science at heart for the benefit of all mankind really existed. But correct me if I’m wrong , there is not. The government can not be trusted as they have paid lobbyists exploiting every angle they can for profit, and power gain.
I clicked on website to website from this article and didn’t see anything I would trust as pure truth. They did have pretty graphics and clever quotes from people I’ve never heard of. I could print my name with PhD or MD behind it and gather fragments of information from a list of all sorts. I would not trust that if I were you.
There needs to be an accountable source of information by the people of this great nation for nutrition and unbiased science for us all. Not a government made panel of bureaucracy intended on misuse of power and profit.
Yes – there are several good groups of people who review current research and are not affiliated with government or food industry. That’s where I get my info! Anyone with a PhD or MD had to actually go to school. I agree though, checking on credentials is important. AND you should know that the PhD is in the area that they are giving advice on and that it came from an accredited school. The American Institute for Cancer Research (aicr.org) and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (www.cspinet.org) are both GREAT organizations that are non-profits and do not have industry ties, nor do they work for the government. I would suggest starting there. 🙂 Julie
I think what she actually means, and I could be ABSOLUTELY, 100% , TOTALLY WRONG, but, that you can’t trust peoples information regardless of who they SAY they are.. Cause I could type my name out as
Megan Yates, Ph.D.
BUT, THAT IN NO WAY MEANS I AM A DOCTOR. And I AM ABSOLUTELY NOT A DOCTOR!!! I think, for 100% safety purposes you should probably ask your own doctor face to face and if that’s not their speciality they’ll be able direct to someone who is…
Yep!! Call it common sense skepticism. Life lesson here: not everyone tells the truth. And people telling the truth should have no problem showing you how they are trained and credentialed. 🙂
You can’t fake credentials (like MD, PHD etc) in peer reviewed articles… If you read a peer reviewed research study, then you can be rest assured it’s legit.
Is the unsweetened strawberry naturally flavored water health
“Non-profit” is as misleading as an artificial sweetener’s claim that it is better for you.
Granted, ‘for profit’ institutions have incentive to produce reports that favor corporations. But, to claim that ‘non-profit’ institutions “don’t work for government” is a HUGE fallacy. In fact, ‘non-profit’ organizations are probably the ones to worry about the most (for the past couple of decades) because they DO still take donations from corporations and they ALSO receive tax exempt status and subsidies from government.
‘Non-profit’ institutions essentially have MORE lobbyists to satisfy because they are at the mercy of politicians who are controlled by their lobby, as well as the contributors that support them.
How can u make it clear
Some of the comments seem to be doubting the information in the article. I scanned it twice and I don’t see any reason for scepticism. Although I don’t subscribe to coffee as a viable substitute for water or flavor infused water, (think real fruit flavor not artificial ). Not just sugar but most artificial sweeteners can be harmful to some folks
My daughter can not drink diet drinks made with chemical sweeteners, particularly aspartame and acesulfertame potassium. Some people have reported lupus like symptoms when using a lot of splenda sweeter products daily. They found these went away when they stopped using it. I do use splenda occasionally but mostly use stevia products. I am an ingredient reader. Just know what products are warmed again ( in everything not just food). Check out these websites : Workgroup for safe markets and 20 toxic products you use every day, as well as others. Also, check out dangers of maltodextrin, found in more products than you might realize.
Thanks for your loyalty, and God Bless you
Here is my outlook on this matter and it matches Cindi Says to a certain extent. Everything is bad for you in mass quantities. You drink too much water and you get water poisoning, too much dairy and you risk clogging arteries, eat too much fish and you get mercury poisoning. The point is certain things in moderation can be good for very beneficial. Of course, this is a matter of opinion but so is everything else in this site.
I get aspartame has earned a bad name for being bad for you but the usage of it is the real determining factor. Drink Clear America water every day say three to four one-liter bottles per day for any multiple of years and then i can say yeah that may be bad. If you only drink a bottle a day I don’t think you are in any real risk.
Having an absolute fear of intaking anything with aspartame or any other additive deemed bad for you by nutritious standards is just like being a germaphobe. It’s a double-edged sword in most cases. You concentrate on ridding your body of anything that is bad and/or can make you sick for so long your body forgets how to defend its self. This is bad because when you do eventually get sick a common cold or flu can become deadly.
I believe Aspartame and Acesulfame can be very beneficial if used in moderation. For example, I like to switch between four different beverages as the seasons pass. in the summer I drink Clear American water, in the fall i drink propel flavored water, in the winter I drink Ice brand flavored waters and in the spring i drink Gatorade. Yes, some of these have so-called bad additives but there is plenty of time to break from them and I moderate them so the usage isn’t too long.
In closing I think moderation is t5he best policy.
You win my vote. Well said. /fistbump
Why don’t you just drink water? You’re switching between a bunch of crappy drinks with absolutely no nutritional value or benefit. When you are addicted to the taste of these artificial sweeteners you want more and more of them when what you really should be doing is just drinking water. I have never been into soda, never liked those artificially flavored drinks. When I try a sip it’s automatically off-putting and wayyyyy too sickly sweet. The more you drink water and stop substituting these crappy drinks for actual beneficial hydration, the less you will crave sugary drinks. If you want something sweet at least make a protein shake or a smoothie, something with protein and fiber and vitamins.
I agree!
The fact that you’re trying to say our bodies won’t know how to react to aspartame if we don’t expose our body to it is so so comical. It’s artificial, man made. It shouldn’t exist, but it does, nobody’s body in a natural state knows how to react against it, because it’s again, artificial, and again shouldn’t exist. Just don’t use it, fake sugars taste horrible, if you’re going to put something not healthy in your body it might as well just be natural, sugar. But people don’t have self control, they don’t live balanced lives, there is no such thing as 1 a day. Bottom line drink water, don’t fall to the addiction of sugar, you won’t end up with “water poisoning” unless you’re drinking gallons and gallons a day when your body isn’t telling you to.
I am correcting you. You are wrong. There is plenty of credible research, many decades of it. The has never been a direct connection found between aspartame and a host of alleged plugues. This is an irresponsible article written by someone who admits to having a monetary interest in her content
Aspartame is never going to be proven healthy, so it’s safe to agree with the writer of this particular article.
Wow! This really blows me away! I finally found an “unsweetened” drink that I enjoy and now to find that the additives are dangerous chemicals. I should have read the nutritional facts instead of relying on labeling. I was drinking 4-5 cans of this every day. Thank you for your enlightening site.
Green Bay
The doctors are in disagreement about Aspartame much as they have been on many things deemed dangerous that were later proven not to be. It’s like GMO’s as we’re told how bad they are but the science doesn’t bear that out and GMO’s have allowed the worlds population to almost double since they came into being where, without them, we would see hundreds of millions of people die from starvation and malnutrition. Saccharin was said to cause cancer for decades only to learn that it caused cancer in rats but was perfectly safe for humans. It’s like giving peanut butter to a dog and they die from it where it doesn’t harm people at all unless it gets contaminated with bacteria. So, don’t panic or assume it’s dangerous just yet as sugar can actually be more dangerous than Aspartame in relation to health problems.
I like to refer to the Center for Science in the Public Interest’s guide to food additives. It’s a nice list that helps cut through the hype and focus on the science. On another note, my dog eats PB almost everyday and is fine. Never heard it wasn’t good for them. And you are correct about the GMO discussions. Science isn’t suggesting we need to be worried and it has def saved lives by preventing malnutrition.
From my own experience, as a diabetic who has been on diet soda for a long time, I can say unequivocally, that aspartame sweetened soda and candy (etc) is bad for you. It may not be the same for everyone, but when I switched from aspartame products to Splenda products, my health became exponentially better.
I am not a scientist (unless you consider ‘politics’ a science), so I would not declare that ANY sweetener is actually good for you, but from my own experience, the switch away from aspartame brought very noticeable benefits.
I used to experience many different types of irritating sensations, some of which I can’t really explain, that went away, within days of cutting aspartame out of my diet. My glucose levels became more manageable with Splenda (even better when I cut that out too) than they were with aspartame. I also found that losing weight was easier too. I think aspartame is like a drug in some ways where it actually makes you crave MORE sweet foods and add carbonation, you often feel hungrier than you really are.
I found myself munching constantly when I used to drink a lot of soda. Barely at all, now that I have learned to enjoy tap water more.
For me, it is obvious that aspartame is poison. Like everything, though, I think moderation is the key. I don’t think it consuming it on rare occasions will kill you, but if you drink soda like I used to, it’s probably as bad as smoking.
PB is okay for dogs. It is the sweetener xylitol, used in some PB brands that is dangerous for dogs.
I gained 7 lb drinking all the wal mart CLEAR water 0 calories o sodium. Quit drinking it and a week and a half later I had dropped 8 lbs.
I’m guessing you thought the 0 calorie beverage would make you lose weight. The Clear Water itself isn’t what made you gain weight, it was the effect that carbonated drinks, in general, have on people- which is to trigger a ‘hungry’ feeling that you wouldn’t have from drinking non-carbonated drinks.
Soda, no matter how it is sweetened (or even unsweetened) essentially gives you the munchies. If you drink a lot of soda, it expands your stomach, which makes it harder to ever feel full. The carbonation adds air to your stomach, which triggers a hungry feeling. Artificial sweeteners trigger a chemical in your brain that craves sweetness that artificial sweeteners doesn’t quench, so it leads you to munch and binge on carbohydrates (whether sugar-type or starch-type).
So, even though you are drinking diet soda, you aren’t going to lose weight because it will lead you to eating more. With sugar-based sodas, part of that craving is actually satisfied. So, you’re pretty much damned if you do- damned if you don’t, when it comes to soda (real or artificial sweeteners). Drinking regular soda will add weight. Drinking diet soda won’t add weight on its own, but the cravings that it gives you will make you gain weight from other things you consume to satisfy the urge.
I think the choice to drink diet over regular is only significant (but barely) for people who are diabetic. Diet soda is probably only good for limiting sugar intake for people who actively avoid carbs everywhere. I don’t think it is good for losing weight though.
Desk person at ymcs asked me about my drinking 2 bottles a day, she asked of any of 3 things were in out, YES, she asks how’s the weight loss coming going to the ymca every day, not so good I said, she told me something in it makes my body not work right and makes everything turn to fat in my body, I quit drinking it and finally started to lose weight.
congrats on your success. 🙂
4-5 cans?
That’s over two liters a day. If it is over the course of the year. Yes, that is somewhat bad. Drinking one or two cans a day I would say you’re not in any real risk. Over two liters is a bit much. My best advice for you is moderation. I touched base on this opinion a little within Cindi Says reply to the original article.
If you do refer to it, I apologize for the typos. Typing on a smartphone sometimes mistakes happen.
This is another example of an irresposible article with uselessly vague information and some factually baseless insinuations that a product which has been deemed safe by agencies such as the FDA as well as the world health organization. No one has ever found a direct link between aspartame and the many fallacies about cancer and a host of other plagues. And aspartame has been around for many decades, long enough that any real dange would certainly have been unearthed. This article cites no specific unbiased pee reviewed studies and it is a big mistake to come here and mistake your search results in the form of this page to constitute valid research on your part. Fact: none of the ingredients found in this soda are “dangerous”. I have been drinking ir for decades with no ill effects, and I drink a lot of it. As to its sweetness, it’s nowhere near as sweet as regular sugared soda, or pure fruit juice. The writer of this article has no basis to suggest that it is sweet enough to bring on sugar addiction. So buy all you want, drink all you want, and enjoy. And stay away rom articles like this by writers who lack the credepntials and expertise to speak credibly on the subject. Aspartame is made by combining an amino acid which is naturally produced by the body, and another naturally occurring amino acid.
I know this stuff isn’t great, but it has helped me also transistion off of regular/diet soda. It really does have fabulous flavor…but I have often asked myself – what’s the difference between this sparkling/carbonated water sweeted with aspartame and diet soda…really nothing…there is just no coloring in this. I try to keep it down to one bottle per week that I spread out over the week as long as I can…but truthfully…IT IS SOOOO YUMMY…I do want to drink it all the time…but know I can’t. 🙁
Good for you! I think one a week is perfectly fine. My general rule for moderation is 2 times a week or less for things that aren’t good habits. 🙂
I am on dialysis with ESRD (End Stage Renal Disease) and have been told to stay away from contents of potassium and sodium. Am trying to cut down on diet coke altogether, so am looking for an alternative with some kind of decent taste. Guess I’ll keep looking, thanks on the lowdown on the ingredients. God bless.
I have found simple things like fruit in water is tasty. Just double check that your kidney dietitians are ok with that. I met with a client last week who is facing colon cancer and does dialysis at home for kidney disease. It was a challenge to get plenty of fruits and veggies but not push over the potassium and phosphorus limits he had. Good luck!!
Pay no heed to this. This is another example of an irresposible article with uselessly vague information and some factually baseless insinuations that a product which has been deemed safe by agencies such as the FDA as well as the world health organization. No one has ever found a direct link between aspartame and the many fallacies about cancer and a host of other plagues. And aspartame has been around for many decades, long enough that any real dange would certainly have been unearthed. This article cites no specific unbiased pee reviewed studies and it is a big mistake to come here and mistake your search results in the form of this page to constitute valid research on your part. Fact: none of the ingredients found in this soda are “dangerous”. I have been drinking ir for decades with no ill effects, and I drink a lot of it. As to its sweetness, it’s nowhere near as sweet as regular sugared soda, or pure fruit juice. The writer of this article has no basis to suggest that it is sweet enough to bring on sugar addiction. So buy all you want, drink all you want, and enjoy. And stay away rom articles like this by writers who lack the credepntials and expertise to speak credibly on the subject. Aspartame is made by combining an amino acid which is naturally produced by the body, and another naturally occurring amino acid.
Drink all you want unless your doctor weighs in. That’s why we have doctors, trained and with degrees.This is another example of an irresposible article with uselessly vague information and some factually baseless insinuations that a product which has been deemed safe by agencies such as the FDA as well as the world health organization. No one has ever found a direct link between aspartame and the many fallacies about cancer and a host of other plagues. And aspartame has been around for many decades, long enough that any real dange would certainly have been unearthed. This article cites no specific unbiased pee reviewed studies and it is a big mistake to come here and mistake your search results in the form of this page to constitute valid research on your part. Fact: none of the ingredients found in this soda are “dangerous”. I have been drinking ir for decades with no ill effects, and I drink a lot of it. As to its sweetness, it’s nowhere near as sweet as regular sugared soda, or pure fruit juice. The writer of this article has no basis to suggest that it is sweet enough to bring on sugar addiction. So buy all you want, drink all you want, and enjoy. And stay away rom articles like this by writers who lack the credepntials and expertise to speak credibly on the subject. Aspartame is made by combining an amino acid which is naturally produced by the body, and another naturally occurring amino acid. The writer of this article has an admittet vested monetary interest in selling related products.
I’ve had abdominal pain for over a week. I cannot eat. The pain keeps me up every night. I am very sick and very tired. Antacid products, such as Rolaids and Zantac, do not work. Nothing is helping this pain.
About a day ago, 6/22/15, there was a recall on 14 brands of water for e-coli and I began investigating. That is when I discovered that Great American Sparkling Water contained the infamous aspartame!
I need to see a doctor but I suspect this Great American Sparking Water could have set off this unrelenting pain.
I only bought Great American Sparkling Water because it was cheaper than my favorite La Croix.
I’m afraid it’s done some damage and might require special corrective action. I am not positive BUT I’d like to share this story before it happens to anyone else.
Hi Barbara, it’s unlikely that it is the aspartame, although it’s not a bad idea to stop drinking that water. I hope that you have had a check up with your doctor as your pain sounds pretty serious. There hasn’t been any solid data showing that aspartame will cause damage that causes problems, so I would definitely work with your medical team for another root cause to the issue. Hopefully it’s not e-coli!! Yikes!
My son has been suffering from horrible abdominal pain. We took him to the Dr. & with medicine & rest he got better. We weren’t sure what it was that caused it. My son suspected a few things one of which was the Clear American sparkling water. After feeling better he decided it was maybe just a big but would take not when introducing those items back into his diet. He drank Clear American soda last night & is again experiencing horrible abdominal pain. We’ll be keeping away from this product.
He probably has irritable bowel syndrome, I have it, and it is exacerbated by the carbonation and nothing else. This article is full of junk science which has been debunked for decades.
I am having the same problem! Drinking 2 bottles a day and having severe pains in my abs like a knife stabbing me!! So bloated and so much gas!! TerriblRe headaches!
You likely have irritable bowel symptoms which may be exasperated by the carbonation, or may simply have no direct cause fom this product. I have irritable bowel syndrome, had it since I was a kid, and the symptoms are exactly as you describe. There was no aspartame in the 60s, and I didn’t drink much soda. Did you go to a specialist for a diagnosis, you know, an expert? Like a gastroenterologist? That’s why we have experts with PhDs and MDs. Correlation does not mean causation or proof. It means that something happened at the same time as something else. This is another example of an irresposible article with uselessly vague information and some factually baseless insinuations that a product which has been deemed safe by agencies such as the FDA as well as the world health organization. No one has ever found a direct link between aspartame and the many fallacies about cancer and a host of other plagues. And aspartame has been around for many decades, long enough that any real dange would certainly have been unearthed. This article cites no specific unbiased pee reviewed studies and it is a big mistake to come here and mistake your search results in the form of this page to constitute valid research on your part. Fact: none of the ingredients found in this soda are “dangerous”. I have been drinking ir for decades with no ill effects, and I drink a lot of it. As to its sweetness, it’s nowhere near as sweet as regular sugared soda, or pure fruit juice. The writer of this article has no basis to suggest that it is sweet enough to bring on sugar addiction. So buy all you want, drink all you want, and enjoy. And stay away rom articles like this by writers who lack the credepntials and expertise to speak credibly on the subject. Aspartame is made by combining an amino acid which is naturally produced by the body, and another naturally occurring amino acid.
I am a diabetic (Type II) and have been drinking this water since 2012. No doctor has ever asked if I’m drinking anything with Aspartame and/or Acesulfame Potassium in it. They simply ask if I’m drinking enough water a day, and I am. I have an upcoming appointment with an endocrinologist. Should I mention that this is my drink of choice? I haven’t had a soda in years. Any suggestions? I should mention that my sugar levels have been out of whack for the last year.
I don’t think it’s harming you. Your body needs fluids. You might let them know exactly how much you drink on a typical day and see what they think. If you’re also drinking water, and this is just a sometimes drink, no big deal. However, if it’s your main source of fluids, I’d try to find a way to enjoy good old water. 🙂
Consult a gastroenterologist as well. This is another example of an irresposible article with uselessly vague information and some factually baseless insinuations that a product which has been deemed safe by agencies such as the FDA as well as the world health organization is unsafe. No one has ever found a direct link between aspartame and the many fallacies about cancer and a host of other plagues. And aspartame has been around for many decades, long enough that any real dange would certainly have been unearthed. This article cites no specific unbiased pee reviewed studies and it is a big mistake to come here and mistake your search results in the form of this page to constitute valid research on your part. Fact: none of the ingredients found in this soda are “dangerous”. I have been drinking ir for decades with no ill effects, and I drink a lot of it. As to its sweetness, it’s nowhere near as sweet as regular sugared soda, or pure fruit juice. The writer of this article has no basis to suggest that it is sweet enough to bring on sugar addiction. So buy all you want, drink all you want, and enjoy. And stay away rom articles like this by writers who lack the credepntials and expertise to speak credibly on the subject. Aspartame is made by combining an amino acid which is naturally produced by the body, and another naturally occurring amino acid.
What about Odwalla products are they good for you?
Same as with the Naked drinks… You gotta watch the sugar content, and they hardly have fiber in them. I’d prefer you just eat a piece of fruit or some veggies!
Please stop peddling the information that fiber is somehow magically good for you. AFAIK, several native communities live without consuming fiber for longer periods of time. And they seem to do pretty well.
Diets adequate in fiber have shown to decrease risk specifically of colon cancer. They are also good for heart health and promoting a healthy GI tract. If you follow the recommended dietary eating pattern, you will get a high fiber diet. I do not suggest fiber supplements unless absolutely necessary.
What about the Naked smoothies?
You gotta watch the sugar content. It’s mostly juice. I’d prefer you make your own smoothies at home from real fruit and veggies!
I like drinking the walmart carbonated flavored water. It is zero calories. It might not sound good to others but it tastes great for me. And as far as talking about what is good for us to drink makes no sense anymore bc everything we put in our mouths is always bad. I buy what I like and chose to drink it or eat. So everyone can go on believing what they want to believe.
It sometimes can seem confusing, however I think it’s important to know what you’re consuming. Especially if it’s something with additives or artificial ingredients that you consume regularly. If you don’t drink it that often, then it’s less of an issue. And yes, you get to believe what you want. My job is to give you the evidence based information!
I drink the Walmart Clear American Water all the time and I mean all the time. I hate the taste of plain water and this is the only other thing closest to water. Are you saying that I should not drink this one after another one.
correct, I would not drink it all the time. When someone tells me they don’t like the taste of water, it’s usually a sign that their taste buds are conditioned to overly sweet taste. you can put them through “rehab” if you want, by retraining them. 🙂
Julie I don’t see a PhD or an MD in your credentials. Your article is full of scientifically unproven irresponsible insinuations which lead people to conclude this stuff is harmful when it is not. As such you have done more harm than good. Look at what happened after that fraudulent study financed by greedy malpractice lawyers about vaccines and autism. Now we have a host of dangerous diseases re emerging because gullible parents are afraid to vaccinate their kids. Shame on you. Go back to school and get some PhDs in gastroenterology, nutrition, oncology, and other related fields, and come back to write with some credibility.
This article is based on made up and baseless pseudo science, it is blatantly irresponsible. I’ve been drinking it for decades and nope, I haven’t died of cancer
I don’t usually get attacked from the science based side. 😛 I am in no way saying that any of these ingredients have been proven to cause cancer. Nor am I telling anyone they should avoid this. I’m simply saying that it’s not the same as water and I would not suggest making a habit out of drinking it, but it’s up to you to decide. NOT THE SAME AS the anti-vaccine movement. Vaccines are proven effective and essential for public health. Artificial sweeteners are not essential for health but if someone wants to use them it’s fine. Also, dietitians are the experts in nutrition. We have rigorous training and far more nutrition knowledge than MDs. PhDs aren’t nutrition experts unless they are also Registered Dietitians. Im also a board certified specialist in oncology nutrition (CSO) and have a masters in public health (MPH). I am pro-vaccine, pro-science and evidence based. I am also an educator and my job is to present the information so that the consumers can decide what works for them. I’m glad you’ve enjoyed your clear American water. Keep it up! 🙂
I read the ingredient list before I took my first sip. I have been drinking pretty much only this water for the last 3 years. I do have some health issues, though those started long ago. I stopped drinking soda and replaced it with this water. On average I drink about 5 a day. It seems to be the only thing that will quench my thirst some days. I am on my way to transition to an infuser bottle, though that is only, and I mean only, because the flavor I drank the most is no longer available. It was the Cactus Lime flavor and as I live in Arizona, getting cactus fruit is not an issue. I feel drinking this is much better than most alternatives, plus while drinking this water and watching what I eat I’ve lost more than 100lbs during that 3 years. Not having a car sort of helped with that also. I won’t stop drinking the brand completely but I will begin to infuse my own water sometimes.
I bought a bottle of Zero Clear American water flavored Caramel Apple which sounded good. I couldn’t read the ingredients and when I got my magnifying glass out and read it said Aspartame I spilled it in the sink. I can’t believe a smart American company would still be using Aspartame with all the bad side affects. Like turning to poison when it gets hot. Doesn’t anyone in that company keep up with the facts.
I will not buy it again. I would like to contact the company but there isn’t any way.
Vote with your dollar!! 🙂
Having actually checked the National Cancer Institutes website, Anyone worried about Aspertame and cancer can relax. Unless you are drinking almost a dozen cans of diet soda a day for years, you don’t have to worry about getting cancer from it.
Source: http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/artificial-sweeteners-fact-sheet
Yes! As I say, unless you’re eating 14x your body weight, it’s prob ok. Now the taste buds being accustomed to sweet taste is a different issue. 🙂
Might not cause cancer, but there are other negative side-effects of aspartame.
It is a personal preference. Definitely don’t need aspartame in your diet!
Hi Julie….I recently started working with a nutritionist in order to lose a few pounds and shed some fat. I’m not obese….just trying to lean down and get more tone to get my abs to show through 🙂 I’m 44, 6’0, and about 210 pounds. My goal is to get down to 180. She told me the best way is to eliminate sugar from what I eat and to increase my water to half my body weight (100 ounces a day). I used to drink a lot of pop but have taken her suggestions and have done my best to go sugarless on everything. I’m not one that is just able to drink plain water though. The health store near me carries a powder called Ultima Replenisher which replaces electrolytes, is vegan, has no sugar and nothing artificial. So I add that to my water…however the only thing is they only sell grape flavor in the 14 ounce size. But drinking the same flavor gets old after a while. Just the other day, a person introduced me to Clear American. So I just bought some….tasted the pineapple coconut and thought….boy, this is great! Now I don’t have to drink grape flavored water everyday! Then I looked at the ingredients and wondered if they are healthy and if I should not even be drinking this?? I read your article and sounds like the ingredients are not healthy and I should not be drinking this at all. But, you also sound like its fine to drink if in moderation and not just the primary source of getting daily water intake. I have been drinking close to 100 ounces of water mixed with Ultima Replenisher everyday….so was just wondering….is Clear American okay for me to drink as I also integrate regular water or should I just stick with and tolerate drinking 100 ounces of the same grape flavored water daily? Thank you…..I hope you will reply!
Hey Jeff, You’re doing a good job with reading ingredients and asking questions! Bottom line – you want to get your taste buds accustomed to drinking regular water. you CAN do that, but it takes some work. I would force yourself to drink one glass of plain water before drinking any flavored water (clear american, or ultima replenisher). Honestly, there’s no way that Ultima Replenisher can have flavor and no sugar and no artifical anything. Not possible. And where are they getting the grape “flavor” from? It’s artificial I’m sure. You’re better off with plain water, or seltzer water (like le croix or store brand) and adding lemon to it for flavor. WIth time, your taste buds will get used to plain water and you’ll never look back!
I haven’t had a soda in literally years, I mainly drink Earl Grey tea (a bald Starship captain turned me onto that) and what my wife makes up because the water that comes out of my tap tastes how I imagine butt tastes, so my wife mixes me up Walmart brand Great Value cherry drink mix.
I just looked at the ingredients, they are: CITRIC ACID, MALTODEXTRIN, ASPARTAME, CALCIUM CITRATE, POTASSIUM CITRATE, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, RED 40, ACESULFAME, POTASSIUM, CALCIUM SILICATE, and MAGNESIUM OXIDE; I ordinarily have no health problems, I’m 52, my heart rate is generally 75 and my normal blood pressure is 98/46, I’m 6’4″ and a little more than 270 lbs.
Generally satisfied with my appearance, would like to get down to 225 or so, so I’m occasionally riding my bicycle, when I have the time.
How often do you have this? Are you comfortable consuming artificial sweeteners? It’s more of a personal question than one I can answer for you. For myself, I would not consume it on a regular basis. Earl Grey YES I would! Artificial cherry drink – not regularly. 🙂
You could drink about 20.4 cans of Coke Zero every day for the rest of your life and not have any effects ( the accepted daily intake is 15 mg/kg per day). Fear mongering does not help us but rather distract us from our main goals as nutrition experts trying t educate our country/community/patients…
http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/diet/artificial-sweeteners-fact-sheet
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/the-truth-about-acesulfame-k.aspx
http://ec.europa.eu/food/fs/sc/scf/out52_en.pdf
I wouldn’t recommend drinking that level of fluid in general! There is such a thing as “water poisoning”. However, I think your references are reliable and legitimate. Water is what your body needs, but if you prefer diet sodas, I think that’s a fine choice. 🙂 Julie
I’m diabetic and take insulin 4 X a day.
I find that Clear American Ice is better than soda’s and energy drinks and diet sodas.
It has NO fats, NO carbs, NO sodium, NO sugars.
It does have a 10% boost of Vitamin D, B3, B6, B12, B5, and Biotin.
Green Tea extracts.
Substitute for Surar is Sucralose
It is definitely better than sugar sweetened sodas. I’m not sure it’s that much better than a diet soda. I actually think it’s very similar to a diet soda. It’s not better than plain old water, but if it’s your “special treat” 2 times a week or so, I don’t see any problem with it! Good for you keeping your blood sugars under control!
Most people believe that all B vitamins are water soluble, but B6 is different and partially stores in muscle. While the B6 deficiency symptoms are similar to B6 toxicity symptoms, it confused me because I thought surely I was deficient. However, I finally requested the B6 lab from my regular doctor when it was time for labs late October 2015. Result was quite a surprise since I did stop the supplements a few days before the lab. I was toxic!–more than double the range. No wonder the numb feet for four years!
Anyway, I wish I knew years ago about B6. The nerve damage can be permanent; only time will tell.
Looks like the word is getting out about the B6 supplement:
http://www.drorestesg.com/blog/are-you-overdosing-on-vitamin-b6-
I have heard of people taking too much thinking it would benefit and they had nerve issues. I never think it’s a good idea to take a large dose of any nutrient in pill form unless clinically indicated!
This article is informative, but VERY misleading with the nuances not addressed.
First off, Aspertame is an amino acid that is naturally produced by human beings and is commonly found in many fruit. I feel that the need to inform your audience on what Aspertame instead of just playing to their uncertain fears is not an efficient manner in which to persuade your audience. Also most of these people commenting are complaining about psychosomatic effects of drinking clear American water due to the lack of knowledge you have put forward.
Secondly, There are a few different types of natural sweeteners, and the FDA has evaluated all of them and has banned a few over time. Sweet-n-low (saccharin, I believe) was banned for supposedly leading to cancer, but aspertame has yet to be deemed unhealthy. The only potential for harm is in the fact that digesting it realeases methane in your body in small amounts. So this alternative sweetener does offer the benefits that you addressed, but it should be noted that many things in moderation is fair, and this is a prime example.
Lastly, These ingredients aren’t the “low down”, THEY’RE RIGHT ON THE BOTTLE!!!! I’m looking at it right now. PLEASE read the ingredients of the food you buy and what nutritional values and health risks are involved in the food/drinks you’re consuming.
As a Type 2 Diabetic, I have to avoid sugars in soda. It’s not that I can’t have sugar as we must still have a certain amount but, hopefully, we get it from natural sources. Aspartame is an artificial sweetener attacked because of the ingredients and processes making it where people say it’s rat poison. Yet, just because various foods have ingredients shared with poisons and other products means little. Watermelon seeds contain a small amount of cyanide as one example and for a long time we scared little children telling them if they ate watermelon seeds they would die because of it.
Saccharin was said to cause cancer for decades only to learn that it caused cancer in rats but only in rats. Many foods we eat cannot be fed to dogs or cats without poisoning them when they are perfectly safe and natural for us to eat. Our bodies simply are adjusted to consume certain things that other animals have not adjusted to. It’s like the disease process as we are immune to diseases now that killed our ancestors.
Then there’s high fat diets like in Germany and the American South where dieticians told us we were killing ourselves and we had to change our diets. Then, when we changed our diets, our health issues worsened and mortality increased. The simple reason is we had adjusted to this high fat diet and the people telling us it was unhealthy came from other regions with a completely different diet where high fat foods were indeed unhealthy. Anything in excess can be bad but we in the South had a very active lifestyle where we burned off the fat and ate other foods which neutralized the buildup of fat in our blood veins much like drinking wine does in France… turns out that the Southern US has a very strong French presence in our ancestry to go with our Scottish heritage which is where all these nasty eating habits came from.
I myself prefer Stevia as an all natural alternative to Aspartame.
However, we have not had confirmed deaths or major health issues caused by Aspartame. We have suspicions and cause to think it causes health issues but one study says one thing and another something else.
Look at GMO foods as we’re told how bad and evil they are. Yet, without them, we would see hundreds of millions of deaths due to starvation, malnutrition and disease due to a lack of food. GMO’s are the reason the worlds populations have doubled since the late 1960’s. They have increased our health, our well being and ability to survive. The feeling they do harm begins with a French researcher who flat out told everyone he believed they were harmful and set out to get them eliminated. He even formed an independent testing lab that immediately fell into disrepute not only with corporations and government, but with other scientists and other independent research labs. They all dispute his findings yet, once an alarmist theory gets started, the internet turns it into a conspiracy and plays on ideals or political views to become something that it simply isn’t.
So, let’s do away with GMO’s and watch half the worlds populations suffer or die because of it… that’s exactly what the Anti GMO supporters would accomplish and almost none of them even realize it.
Clear American could be encouraged to switch to Stevia on topics like this rather than just worrying or being alarmed because we hear that Aspartame has such a bad rep when that rep is partly based on hysteria… with enough truth and possibility to get it put on a list as paossibly harmful.
I just found Clear American and the reason I bought it was it offers fruity sodas where everyone else only offers diet versions of their regular soda. But, the fruity drinks don’t.
In fact, I don’t even like clear soda as it tends to have an odd or even nasty taste to it. But, Clear American in cans tastes like I expect it should. In plastic bottles, it has that same odd, nasty taste other clear drinks have so that sunlight must be affecting the taste.
So, I will keep using Clear American as a soda option.
But, if you guys are really concerned, Stevia is an all natural alternative to sugar that is safe for diabetics and achieves what most dieters seek to achieve.
So, instead of attacking Aspartame and seemingly leaving the impression Clear American is somehow wrong or evil, let’s start a campaign to get them to switch Aspartame for Stevia and achieve something positive instead of just a negative.
Thanks everyone!!
Now I don’t know what to drink (that has a decent flavor). I was strictly a soda drinker from age 19 to 48 and quit to “better my diet”for my health. I switched to diet soda the last 5 years that I was drinking soda. I found Clear American water about a year ago and have loved it very much! I would take a liter to work everyday. Everything about it was perfect…or so I thought.
I have been concerned about cancer and heart attacks since childhood. These are the 2 issues that have been extremely prevalent, AND DEADLY, in my family history. I have been more concerned about watching what I consume for the past 8 years ie; fats, sugars and calories, verses ignoring the issue. While there are many guidelines to follow for a “healthy diet” this topic/page clearly proves that I (and everybody else) have our work cut out for us!
I have been eating chicken, fish, veggies and fruit 90% of the time for the past 8 years. I have heard, off and on, how they too can have many issues from diseases, and too much mercury, to us having health issues stemming from the pesticides from the veggies!!
I tried to plant my own veggies but the surrounding coyotes, deer, rabbits and/or whatever else was hungry (bugs included) got to them before I could. I didn’t even get an apple or peach from my young small trees! I give up! (I was also informed that seeds have now been genetically enhanced by scientist so what is natural anymore?)
My overall theory is to only eat all natural/organic. THAT in itself is a whole other topic! lol
I am trying to eat nothing man made but it seems man has his hand in everything! Go figure.
It is said that you are only as good as the information that is out there…’nuff said.
Good luck and a happy life to all!
my body was producing kidney stones like a rock quarry. I had 6 kidney surgeries within six months and still lost my kidney. my urologist told me to drink two bottles a day of clear American water, because it had potassium citrate ,which would dissolve the crystals and I would never have anymore stones. it worked. I told a man at Wal-Mart what the doctor said, thinking this info might help someone, and he looked at me and said,Wat about all the artificial? So I called my urologist and ask him that same question and he said he had been drinking 4bottles a day for 20years and it has not hurt him. so its been 15years later and I drink 2bottles a day and no problems. I have blood work every 3months due to diabetes and all’s well.
You could probably get potassium citrate from another source, but I tend to follow the recommendation my coach once gave me. “Never change a winning game”. So if it’s working for you and you are enjoying good health, then don’t change! 🙂 Julie
This right here is why people get so frustrated and say “screw it” and just go back to drinking soda.
So if you don’t like unsweetened coffee or tea, or any of the nasty milks she mentioned, then I guess you’re just better off drinking soda.
The groups with the best credentials say aspartame is safe. There will always be a group out there demonizing aspartame, MSG, nitrates etc. My family regularly ate all of those things and they all lived into their 80s and 90s. I love Clear American Black Raspberry, I drink it every chance I get because it’s not a soft drink that will send my blood sugar through the roof or make me fat which in turn makes my blood pressure go up. I’m going to keep consuming aspartame and bacon and genetically modified food. We all have to go sometime so why not enjoy the time we have left.
Let’s agree to disagree – and here’s the pertinent portion about aspartame from Wikipedia:
“Potential health risks [related to aspartame] have been examined and dismissed by numerous scientific research projects. With the exception of the risk to those with phenylketonuria, aspartame is considered to be a safe food additive by governments worldwide and major health and food safety organizations. FDA officials describe aspartame as “one of the most thoroughly tested and studied food additives the agency has ever approved” and its safety as “clear cut.” The weight of existing scientific evidence indicates that aspartame is safe as a non-nutritive sweetener.”
Ya’ll just get the Soda Stream and you can carbonate your own drinks with whatever fruit you want! No aspertame etc. 🙂
Being that this article is from 2016, not sure if it’s being monitored for comments but here goes…I finally stopped cold turkey with soda. I’m drinking plain bottled water but recently found Sparkling Strawberry Water by Ozarka which I love – it reads “3 simple ingredients spring water, strawberry flavor and invigorating bubbles” Claims 0 calories PER 12 oz – The nutritional label reads at zero for everything, sodium, sugar, carbs, calories – no artificial sweetners. Sounds great but what do they mean zero calories per 12 oz? Does that mean that anything over 12 oz consumed has calories?
Actually, the article is from 2013, but since you posted yesterday, I feel confident adding to it. It may mean that in a 12 oz sample, there is somewhere between zero and one calories. Companies are able to round down, so 0 is more impressive than 1. A 20oz bottle probably has between 1 and 2 calories. Good news in regard to WalMart/Clear American products. I just noticed in the past few days that they now carry an unsweetened version of Clear American. They don’t call it seltzer, but that’s basically what it is. Ironically, the one flavor I’ve seen so far is strawberry, just like the Ozarka you enjoy…and it has identical ingredients – sparkling water and strawberry flavor. Very affordable, too, as one would expect from a WM brand, at under $3 for a 12pk of 12oz cans. It has a bit less carbonation than most other sparkling waters I’ve tried, but that will make it perfect to drink straight out of the can, since I normally like to pour the stuff over ice. Without any dilution, it should be perfect.
Try hint brand water!!!!!
In search of an alternative for 8 glasses of H2O, I’ve been drinking a couple bottles of Bai per week. Supposely, it contains 1 gram of Sugar and states it is an Anti-Oxidant Infusion and no artificial sweetners. It does contain 5g Erythritol and Stevia Leaf Extract. Is this a good alternative to boring water. What do you think? Jim
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol, so will affect blood sugars 1/2 as much as regular sugar. I’m not a huge fan of sweetened beverages, even if they are sweetened with “natural sweeteners”. However, at just 2 bottles a week, I think that’s perfectly fine and gives you a bit of variety. Sometimes I like to mix juice with La Croix for my “special drink”. Or if I’m lazy, I buy an Izzie. 🙂
I quit drinking coke and switched to the clear American water because I am really addicted to carbonation so this is perfect for me. Everything else just seems to flat and LaCroix taste like crap.
Ha! I like LaCroix, but it did take a bit of getting used to. Good for you getting away from the sweetened beverages!
This blog is a great reminder to the cancer patient to be careful on the water that will drink for. This information is very helpful. Thanks for sharing this.
How do you feel about stevia and monk fruit sweetners in comparison to other sweetners and sugar for cancer risk? Also how long woukd you say it would take to reset your taste buds? Been drink Diet coke all day for years just stopped two days ago.
thank you
I stay away from the CLEAR AMERICAN sweetened products. I don’t need my water sweet.
I also wouldn’t trust Aspartame with a 10 foot pole.
I do enjoy their “Unsweetened” line. Nothing but water, bubbles and slight essence of the fruit. LaCroix is a little pricier, but if you are looking for variety in flavors, LaCroix has an excellent selection.
Hi Julie,
I would also like to reply to this. I also bought some Clear water that was very good. Strawberry. This is one that is unsweetened and ingredients are just carbonated water, and natural flavor. The next time I went to get some I just grabbed. I got home and boy oh boy it tasted sweet to me. I looked at the label and saw the aspartame and all the other things that I am staying clear from. I learned from this that I need to read the labels more clearly and not just grab because it is the same brand. I went back and purchased the correct Unsweetened flavors and just my thoughts is I like the a little better than LaCroix. These are a little less expensive at Walmart than the LaCroix and it seems that I can detect the flavor a bit better. I was addicted to Diet Coke so I try to use this as a once a day treat. If you have researched the unsweetened variety and found something bad with it I would love to hear this please. I am trying to teach myself healthy alternatives. Thank you, Denise
On 01/16/2018 … I purchased 3 cases of Clear American seltzer water. I usually read the ingredience . The packaging really sells itself. I usually buy POLAR water. The ingredience was carcinogenic . The taste was terrible.
The same way with cashews at Walmart. Most of the cashews are from India which uses pesticides .
I also noticed other frozen products with tremendous marketing tactics. The product is very unheathly.
Now the GMO’s are prevalent in taco shells, chips, Hostess cupcakes and twinkies . The products in supermarkets are destroying our heath, especially sodium benzoate in soda and abrominated vegable oil in mountain Dew.
GMO’s aren’t bad for you idiot, stop believing that fable. Without GMO you wouldn’t have had watermelons, bananas, corn, and many other things. Stop believing what “health Guru’s” on the internet tell you.
I agree that GMO’s are not causing harm. However, we don’t need to call people names. Please refrain from using negative language in comments. We’re all trying to learn and do our best in order to take the best care of our bodies and minds. We can all encourage each other in this pursuit.
Just keep in mind that the best doctors in the world used to bleed patients to death to remove their bad blood, or use leeches to do the same (due to their remarkable anti-coagulent properties, leeches are coming back in some cases…). All the best doctors in the world laughed at louis pasteur, at charles darwin, and so on. this does not mean that all doctors are wrong, just that the best ones are not necessary correct.
I still cannot tell you with certainty whether it is advisable for me to have two fried eggs tomorrow, given decades of ofttimes contradictory yet “scientific” research.
and dont forget that sometimes too much of a good thing (antibiotics) can be a not-good thing.
use common sense is all im saying. hundreds of tons of aspartame is consumed daily in this country. obviously in moderation it is not killing people. should you drink 2 gallons of it a day – probably not. should we be using stevia instead? probably, but for some strange reason is it not widely available in the US in drinks.
common sense. my mother refused any medications for occasional pains and discomforts during her 3 pregnancies (thank god), and did not possess any post high school education. instead, she instinctively felt that it might not be wise to take thalidomide to help her sleep while carrying me.
Not until my 9th birthday did the experts determine that all those medical prescriptions were not such a good idea after all.
Unfortunately I could go on and on, but the point is made. The arc was built by amateurs, the titantic by professionals…..
Im sorry but telling people this is not healthier is ludicrous. I was a 2 pepsi a day drinker until 3 mnths ago when i gave clear water a try. I wont drink plain water. Im addicted to these now, and when i try to eat something sweet like a piece if pie or drink a pepsi i cant eat but a bite or two because its too sweet for me now. So telling people that it will cause them to not be satisfied with the sweetness of something that is sweet is just wrong. Also, drinking anything in the form of water is 10x better than colas, no matter if it has artificial sweeteners.
You’re right. It will depend on their frame of reference. Since you were drinking sugar sweetened beverages and eating sweets, switching was definitely a step towards good health.
You should be more specific on the clear American ice. I drink clear American ice honeycrisp apple it does not have aspartame or acesflume instead it uses sucrose. I found your thread while trying to find out where it is made which is still a mystery to me
interesting clarification. thanks!
Hey Julie,
Thanks for drawing people’s attention to this problem. In many scenarios, people just assume that a beverage – water or otherwise is ‘healthy’ because the label says so. But they fail to understand that not all provide the benefits you are aiming for. Here, having a water filter at home is a great choice, as this helps cut back the risk of drinking stuff that is not healthy. Thanks for sharing this article with us. Hopefully, this will help individuals to make the right and well-informed choice in the future. 🙂
Apparently the Clear American Unsweetened drink is no longer available. The only ingredients were carbonated water and natural flavor. I would add stevia and it was really good. Now only the aspartame version is available. Why do companies do such dumb things?
This is another example of an irresposible article with uselessly vague information and some factually baseless insinuations that a product which has been deemed safe by agencies such as the FDA as well as the world health organization is unsafe. All such claims have been debunked over decades. No one has ever found a direct link between aspartame and the many fallacies about cancer and a host of other plagues. And aspartame has been around for many decades, long enough that any real dange would certainly have been unearthed. This article cites no specific unbiased pee reviewed studies and it is a big mistake to come here and mistake your search results in the form of this page to constitute valid research on your part. Fact: none of the ingredients found in this soda are “dangerous”. I have been drinking ir for decades with no ill effects, and I drink a lot of it. As to its sweetness, it’s nowhere near as sweet as regular sugared soda, or pure fruit juice. The writer of this article has no basis to suggest that it is sweet enough to bring on sugar addiction. So buy all you want, drink all you want, and enjoy. And stay away rom articles like this by writers who lack the credepntials and expertise to speak credibly on the subject. Aspartame is made by combining an amino acid which is naturally produced by the body, and another naturally occurring amino acid.
Probably we actually agree, so I’m sorry you took so much offense to my writing. I do cite the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a very trustworthy and credible organization. I’m not sure who you think has more credentials than I do to comment on nutrition topics seeing as I have a 4 year nutrition degree from an accredited university, completed a CADE accredited program to qualify me as a registered dietitian, completed an MPH in nutrition from a top ranked public university public health program, and pass an exam every 5 years to be board certified in oncology nutrition. And also, if you want to argue regarding information and credentials, can you please share yours and link the articles you used to come to your conclusions? It only seems fair with the way you are questioning mine.
I am in remission of cancer for the second time, and I been drinking the lemon flavored clear American for my stomach. Should I not drink this? Or not sure what I should do