Fun, colorful and refreshing, Air up® bottles allow you to flavor water in just a few seconds, thanks to the use of odorous capsules. But what should we think about it? Are they safe? The response from Dr Arnaud Cocaul, nutritionist.
At the end of middle or high school, these colorful bottles are a hit. And for good reason: they offer, thanks to a capsule placed on the top of the bottle, to flavor the water only via smell. But beneath their playful appearance, are they really risk-free? Answers from our expert.
Water bottles that fool our brain
On paper, Air up® water bottles have absolutely everything to please teenagers. They are fun (they use odorous capsules), innovative (thanks to the principle of retro-olfaction, the water sucked in is charged with flavor), easy to use (Air up® perfumes tap water) and even ecological ( the brand would use 88% less plastic than single-use bottled drinks).
But the process of tricking our brain through smell raises questions. Is it really a good idea to accustom young ones to coffee or mojito flavored water?
According to our nutritionist, Dr Arnaud Cocaul, adopting the gourds from the German start-up is not ideal, because they accustom young people to sweet, chemical aromas.
“What I find annoying is diverting the use of water and arriving at this type of flavored drinks. It is a derivative product, which fools our brain. But the brain is smarter than the chemical industry“, he recalls. “Then “educating” the taste of the youngest to the mojito, Coca-Cola or coffee flavor is, in my opinion, problematic. These are gateways to the “real” products in question; these capsules can therefore encourage young people to subsequently consume real mojitos or coke, like puffs“, adds the expert, before concluding”that all these products remain industrial, we must not forget that”.
How to flavor your water naturally?
Faced with the rise of these high-tech water bottles, Dr Arnaud Cocaul advises going back to basics: the consumption of natural and/or fruit-flavored water.
To do this, simply place sliced fruit (citrus fruits, nectarines, etc.) and fresh herbs (mint, basil) in a large bottle of water. Lemon juice can also be added – without adding sugars.
The water should then be kept cool for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop. It’s ready !
Slide: Detox water: 10 recipe ideas for a healthy body
