Sophomores Christina Williams, Mariah Taylor and Cynthia Garcia gained interest in of Black water, which is a new Canadian mineral water from a Canadian spring in the Sandiland Forest Reserve, during dinner one evening at founders. Instead of coffee, Garcia and Taylor were drinking the newly popular Canadian spring water.
Where the water is comes from is surrounded by humic and fulvic minerals. These minerals are a natural substance found within plants deeply embedded in the Earth. The minerals of the water naturally filter itself and the sand that enriches the water gives the drink it dark hue.
According to the blk (the company that produces the drink) Facebook page, the benefits of consuming its product can “naturally boost your energy, enhance your immune system, kick start metabolism, removes toxins from blood (cells), high in antioxidants, and contains essential amino acids and 77 trace minerals.”
Mills’ Professor of Chemistry John S. Brabson explained that the fulvic acid present in Black Water appears to be a compound related to a diuretic which makes you urinate and lowers blood pressure, making you feel more naturally energetic and less tired.
However Brabson did mention that fulvic acid places a burden on the liver and that our digestive system “hasn’t evolved to digest the fulvic acid” and cautioned people about the alleged health claims Black Water makes because you can achieve the same health outcome for less money. Brabson suggested “taking a cat nap to give your kidneys a break” will make you experience the same affects of drinking Black Water.
The Tea Shop is notorious for selling drinks that are notably healthy for you, such as the drink called Kombucha, which is a fermented tea that is said to have many health benefits that run along the lines of detoxifying your body. There are several other unusual, healthy drinks found at The Tea Shop; perhaps Black Water will be the next addition.
Megan Fisher, catering manager with Bon Appetit, said they “are always open for suggestions and happy to look into it.”
“I’m so curious to try it, I’d buy it if the Tea Shop had it,” said sophomore Avalon Baldwin. Her interest in the drink came after being initially put off by it, but after some research Baldwin was willing to try it.
Black Water can be bought online through Amazon for $55.00 for a 24 pack of 16.9 ounce bottles. You can also buy the beverage through Blackwater Online for $3.95 for one 12 ounce bottle.
Local health food stores such as Trader Joe’s, Farmer Joe’s, Whole Foods Market, Berkeley Bowl and Piedmont Grocery do not have Black Water in stock. The Black Water drink is produced in Canada and distributed mostly on the East Coast of the United States because the Sandiland Forest Reserve is located near the borders states of North Dakota and Minnesota.
Barbara Bowman, Associate Professor of Biology has never heard of the Black Water Drink but did give advice from a book called “Food Rules” by Michael Pollan. This book gives simple rules that can help you eat better, one of them that Bowman highlighted was “don’t eat anything that makes a health claim.” The logic behind this is that a product that makes a health claim would have to put it on the packaging, and if it is packaged, it is most likely processed.
It is difficult to shy away from a packaged product, however, when its packaging is equally as intriguing as the product itself.
