Before we talk about blk. water, you should know something. I'm a drink fiend. Seriously, I feel like I'm always drinking something. If I'm writing, you can guarantee I've got a green juice, still water, soda water, and a coffee in front of me while I work.
So when I got introduced to blk. water and had the opportunity to chime in with my two cents about this beverage craze, I jumped at the chance to get familiar with another drink. Who says there's such a thing as too much of something great?
There's nothing more exciting than a good hydrator. When I got my bottle of blk. water, I was pumped...and a bit skeptical. After all, how different could this water be than my filtered stuff at home? Or my beloved apple cider vinegar water? But hey, a drink's a drink, and I'll take what I can get. So, I went for it.
And I wasn't disappointed! If anything, my taste buds were a bit perplexed. Now, I'm not squeamish about healthy living in the slightest. I drink kombucha and adaptogenic mushroom tonics. I eat sprouts and fermented veggies. Give me something organic and vegan and I won't question you before eating it!
But when it came time to open this bottle of blk. water and drink up, I'd be lying if I said I didn't hesitate. It's black water – won't it taste like rotten eggs and sulfur? I did the sniff test, whiffing it with my mouth open, and...nothing. Nada. I shrugged and took a chug. And guess what? It tastes like good, old-fashioned water.
When I gave my husband a sip, he told me it tasted slightly soapy. I chalk that up to us never drinking bottled water due to our household resistance to single-use plastics. As I sit here finishing this bottle, I can't say I taste anything off-putting at all.
Are you curious about adding fulvic minerals to your own drink routine? I've gathered some of the most relevant information and burning questions about blk. water and its potential benefits for you!
What is blk. water?
First off, let's lay out what exactly this mysterious water is. Bottled water enhanced with fulvic minerals, blk. water is rich in electrolytes and trace minerals with a pH of 8 – making it an alkalizing drink. Instead of taking fulvic minerals as a pill or powder, blk. water offers the trace minerals mixed in with bottled spring water, ready for consumers on the go.
What are fulvic minerals anyway? What makes them good for you?
Fulvic minerals come from an acid compound found naturally, deep in the soil, a result of plant matter decaying. That's not the most appetizing description, so think of it like this. Fulvic minerals are rich in the stuff that helps to nourish soil and make plants vibrant and perky. If I can spend this summer looking as radiant as Colorado lilacs, I'm all in.
But are these claims legit? Is blk. water FDA-Approved?
There's a common misconception surrounding this elusive FDA approval. Most people believe that it translates to a superior product. As someone who loves her herbal remedies – none of which are FDA-approved, mind you – I have learned to tune out the disclaimers across all my bottles announcing that the proclaimed health benefits haven't been approved by the FDA.
Instead, I've done my own digging and research on herbs and supplements, getting science to back up the anecdotal evidence of how much they've improved my life. The thing is, the FDA explicitly states on their website that they simply don't approve any supplements. None at all.
Just because the FDA doesn't stamp a golden seal of approval on something doesn't mean that the health claims are null and void. It just means that, in this case, the FDA doesn't corroborate research on supplements.
Long story short: While the FDA isn't going to back up the benefits of fulvic minerals anytime soon, multiple studies have been carried out – like this one on its anti-cancerous effects and this one on its potential digestive benefits – that show fulvic minerals to be worthy contenders when it comes to defending your health.
Is blk. water safe if I'm pregnant?
While I can't verify anything about the safety of blk. water for pregnancy, it stands to reason that trace minerals and an alkaline body won't negatively impact your pregnancy. But as the folks over at blk. water recommend, it's always smart to check in with your health care provider if you're uncertain.
Is blk. water vegan?
Being a vegan myself, this was the first question I had when I was asked about giving blk. water a try! Like I said, I'll try just about anything, as long as its vegan and not chock full of nasty chemicals. blk. water passes the test on the vegan front.
Is blk. water kosher?
This question is a tricky one. A brief, snarky review over at HuffPost back in 2011 asserts that blk. water is certified kosher. Unfortunately, there's no current certification on the bottle confirming that. However, pareve food fulfills kosher requirements if it's made without cross-contamination of meat or dairy products – or if there are no bugs intercepted in the process.
Since fulvic minerals come from the decomposition of plant matter, there's always a chance of bugs getting caught in the production. I think this is one best answered by your own conscience on the issue, or an email straight to the company.
With all the health benefits and hoopla, is blk. water expensive?
On Amazon, a 12-pack of blk. water costs around $25. While that's more than I would pay for bottled water – I'm pretty obsessed with my home filter and just mix my own supplements in – I wouldn't call that absurd considering the alkalizing effects, its mineral content, and that it tastes like plain, clean water.
If you're an on-the-go sort of person looking for a mineral boost, it seems like a good deal, but in all honesty, you'd get more bang for your buck if you just mixed your own fulvic mineral supplements into water at home.
So what's the verdict?
While I recognize the myriad benefits of fulvic minerals – and they are truly vast and exciting – and the water itself tastes like crisp, regular water, I can't give a full thumbs-up to anything that comes in a plastic bottle. Although blk. water is in a BPA-free container, recent studies have found over 24,000 chemicals (you read that right) in water bottles.
BPA is just the tip of the iceberg. Bottled water uses six to seven more times the water than just the drinkable content to produce a single bottle. I'd rather filter my water at home and invest in fulvic mineral supplements. While those still come in packaging, the amount of mineral you get per container far outweighs a single serving water bottle.
If blk. water switched to glass – or even recyclable paper containers – I'd be buying these puppies in a heartbeat. But for now, I'll just appreciate the taste I had and stick to my filtered stuff.