Is Cirkul Water Healthy (Nutrition Pros and Cons)?
In this blog post, I’ll review whether Cirkul Water is healthy or not? Find out this product’s nutrition pros and cons and some better options to consider.
Cirkul Water Facts
Founded in 2015 by Andy Gay and Garrett Waggoner, Cirkul is a manufactured plastic water bottle and flavor cartridge combination product. This product is available online at Amazon, on the company website, and also at stores.
You can choose from several flavor Cirkul cartridges, each containing various flavors including coffee flavor, tropical blast, and fruit punch.
The categories include:
- LifeSip – a drink with added vitamins suitable for daily consumption
- FitSip – a sports beverage with added electrolytes
- GoSip – a caffeinated drink for an energy boost
- Gateway Tea – a caffeinated iced tea beverage
- Wild Splash – a sugar-free option designed especially for children
- Frosted – a sweet, caffeinated iced coffee option
- Inflow Energy – an energizing drink made with green tea and ginger root extracts
- Flyte Electrolyte Fuel – a drink that contains electrolytes
- Squeeze Lemonade – a line of lemon-flavored beverages
- Fission Premium Body Fuel – an energy drink containing BCAAs, adaptogens, and caffeine
- Stage Hydration – a hydrating beverage that contains electrolytes
- Verda – a stevia-sweetened drink
- Puressence – a fruit-flavored drink
The company also sells bottle accessories and bundles that contain the bottle and a sample pack of flavor cartridges you can custom create.
They have a wide range of flavors available in each cartridge category, and they promote their product as creating “your water, your way.”
To add flavor, you fill up the bottle with water, insert the flavor cartridge into the bottle’s comfort grip lid, and use a flavor dial to adjust the amount of flavor or flavor level you want in the water as you drink it. You can customize your bottle with graphics and colors.
Cirkul Water claims its products use 85% less plastic and offer a line of stainless steel bottles.
Cirkul markets the formulas used to make the Cirkul Water flavor cartridges as having zero calories, all-natural flavors, and no added colors. It can help you increase your water consumption with your favorite flavor.
While the target market for most flavor cartridges is adults and sports enthusiasts, the company also has a line of flavor cartridges designed for children.
You might also like my review of Celsius Energy Drinks.
Pros and Cons of Cirkul Cartridges
Here’s a summary of the pros and cons of Cirkul bottles. Be sure to read the rest of the article below for information on the main ingredients in Cirkul.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Zero calories and zero sugar, potentially aiding in reducing sugar consumption | Contains controversial chemicals like sucralose |
| Offers a variety of flavor options catering to different preferences, including options for children | Presence of sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate |
| Claims to use 85% less plastic than traditional bottled beverages, offering an environmentally friendlier option | Uses natural flavors, which lacks a clear definition and may include unhealthy processing methods |
| Stainless steel bottle options available, reducing plastic use | Contains caffeine and other stimulants in certain flavors, which may not be suitable for all individuals |
| Suitable for various diets, including keto, paleo, and vegan, due to being zero-calorie and zero-sugar | The inclusion of citric acid may adversely affect dental health |
| Bottles are convenient and can be adapted to the user’s needs | Still sells plastic bottles and cartridges, which contradicts their environmental claims |
Cirkul Water Ingredients
Cirkul Water has 13 categories of flavor cartridges or, as the company calls them, Cirkul SIPS for your Cirkul bottle.
Each flavor cartridge category contains several flavors which may have up to 15 ingredients, including sucralose, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, caffeine, and taurine.
Some of these ingredients are labeled as natural flavoring with no artificial colors, sugar, or zero calories, but many have the potential to contribute to health risks.
Here are some of the main ingredients in Cirkul Water and what you can expect from them in terms of your health.
Sucralose
Sucralose is a highly processed and chlorinated chemical sweetener humans can’t metabolize.
Studies show that long-term consumption of non-nutritive sweeteners like sucralose can cause inflammation in the body with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity.
Sucralose has also been linked to poorly functioning digestion because it lowers the good bacteria in the intestinal microbiome.
Even though sucralose gets an FDA stamp of approval, it remains a controversial ingredient topic amongst health enthusiasts who choose products with more natural ingredients.
Sodium Benzoate
Sodium benzoate is a chemical that stops the growth of bacteria, mold, and yeast.
The FDA allows up to only a 0.1% concentration of sodium benzoate in food products. This chemical may be considered safe because it does not accumulate in the body and passes through your system in about 24 hours.
However, research shows that it can create problems with memory and motor function, and some reports have linked the chemical to an increase in ADHD symptoms.
Citric Acid
Citrus fruits naturally contain citric acid, and manufacturers use it to add a more citrusy flavor to their products.
However, some studies suggest citric acid’s corrosive nature may adversely affect dental health. If used excessively over long periods, it can cause dental problems.
Natural flavors
There is some conflict in food labeling when it comes to the term “natural flavors.”
Since there is no actual definition, it gives manufacturers a free license to describe any food product as containing natural flavoring.
Cirkul Water does not specify the basic makeup of natural flavors used to make their line of different flavors. This makes it difficult to know whether their product is healthy.
Some food product manufacturers that use the term “natural flavors” use synthetic products and processes. One is enzyme-assisted extraction, which uses high heat and solvents to extract the flavor.
Taurine
Taurine is a naturally occurring non-proteinogenic amino sulfonic acid found in meat, fish, and eggs. You are getting a healthy level of taurine when you eat these foods.
However, when manufacturers add taurine into energy-boosting products, like Cirkul Water, it may cause health problems.
For example, lowered dopamine, adrenaline, and serotonin levels and altered neural functioning and behavior. According to research, it poses a genuine risk, especially for adolescents.
Potassium Sorbate
Cirkul Water’s label states that this chemical is used to preserve freshness.
According to the FDA, potassium sorbate is “generally safe” since it does not accumulate in the body. However, the European Food Safety Authority has limited the acceptable daily intake of potassium sorbate.
This chemical has also been linked to allergic reactions, especially on the skin and scalp.
There is also a concern that potassium sorbate may come into contact with cross-contamination with hazardous substances like mercury, lead, and even arsenic.
Nutrition Pros
Cirkul Water is zero calories and zero sugar, which may make it a suitable alternative for people cutting down on sugar or those who wish to avoid drinking highly sweetened sodas, energy drinks, or other types of sugary drinks.
It can be a convenient way to increase your water intake.
The company also claims they use 84% less plastic in their product and packaging and offer stainless steel bottle options in addition to their plastic water bottles.
Nutrition Cons
Although Cirkul Water is marketed as a healthy product containing no sugar, calories, or artificial color, it may be unsuitable for people sensitive to caffeine or any of the other ingredients.
It also has several controversial chemicals that can cause potentially dangerous side effects, such as increasing ADHD symptoms, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and diabetes. It also contains “natural flavoring,” which may include unhealthy processes that use chemicals to extract the flavor.
The company also claims to use less plastic in its product and sell a line of stainless steel bottles. However, they still sell plastic bottles, cartridges, and accessories which are not good for the environment. The sip cartridge are not reusable so the Cirkul flavor cartridge goes into the landfill, making for more plastic waste.
Plain water served in glass or stainless steel is likely going to give more health benefits than Cirkul’s flavor cartridges.
See my related article, “Is AHA Water Good For You?“
FAQs About Cirkul Water
Cirkul Water has a line of flavor cartridges called Wild Splash, geared towards children.
Talking to your doctor before giving children Cirkul Water is essential since it contains citric acid, which may cause dental problems, as well as stevia, which is a sugar alcohol and can cause stomach issues such as vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, and abdominal pain.
Cirkul is a zero-calorie, zero-sugar beverage cartridge containing no animal products or significant quantities of carbohydrates, so it may be suitable for a vegan, keto, or paleo diet.
However, the company does not market its product to include specific diets and it is unknown if the product has health benefits. Check with your doctor to find out if the ingredients in Cirkul Water meet your particular dietary needs.
No. The company claims, “Cirkul flavor blends are sweetened with either sucralose, stevia, or no sweetness at all.”
It is important to note that sucralose may contribute to a poorly functioning digestive system, and stevia may cause digestive issues such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Yes. Specific flavor cartridge categories such as GoSip, Frosted Iced Coffee, Gateway Tea, Fission, & Inflow Energy contain caffeine.
Making sure you drink enough water is part of a healthy lifestyle and is essential for good health. There are potential risks to drinking manufactured products like Cirkul. It’s uncertain if these types of water products will help with weight loss.
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Conclusions
Cirkul Water is a processed flavor cartridge product marketed as making “drinking water convenient, delicious, and fun.” Although Cirkul Water has fewer calories and sugar than regular sodas, it’s not necessarily healthy. The products contain chemicals and preservatives in their product that have been linked to several health conditions.
If you want a healthy beverage, consider mixing sparkling water with a small amount of fresh fruit juice or fruit pieces to give you a refreshing and delicious drink. You can get a healthy dose of natural electrolytes by adding the juice of a few lemons and limes.
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send Carrie a message through her contact form.
Note: this post is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider for recommendations related to your individual situation.
Im concerned with anything this world puts out there for us to consume into our bodies and even moreso when they cater around our children with kiddie lure. It’s clear there may be more to this product than we know and for some it will take someone to discover or expose it. It’s oh how deep are you willing to go with each ingredient and how they are when combined with others and then this environmental issues or prescribed drugs some of us may be taken regularly. Im questioning this because it really has a hold on someone i care about where they buy these cartridges in excess and uses it more than i think is normal. How does one go through this cartridge as fast as they do on diff levels of flavoring and consumes it so fast. Im happy the 2ltr of soda consumption stopped but at what cost?
Exactly! It’s important to read labels and see what we are really putting in our bodies (and try to ignore the slick marketing on packages).
Wow! Who knew? I had a feeling it was kind of a hype Kinnick gimmick. :/ guess you got away all the pros and cons if you wanna drink more water, take a little chemical with it UGG!
Thank you for the information I think I’ll pass on this one and stick to my plain cold water.
I think it depends on what flavors of cirkul