World Water Day, held on 22 March, is about focusing attention on the importance of water. Water is essential for existence – from giant blue whales and plants, to people – yet despite this, new national research from the innovative water bottle, air up, now unveils that almost half of the nation (45%), admit to only drinking one glass of water a day, with water consumption halving for millions during the winter months.
Research from the hydration innovators also shows that 30% of Brits find water boring and as such, do not drink it often. Further to this, 12% say that their sugar addiction stems from sugary drinks, with 27% stating that their addiction to sugary drinks has had a detrimental impact on their health. The implications of this mean Brits may end up not reaching an adequate daily intake of water, and as such, can suffer from dehydration, alongside weight gain and even tooth decay.
Key Stats:
- 45% of Brits admit to only drinking ONE glass of water a day
- 30% find water boring so they don’t drink it much
- 27% of Brits say their addiction to sugary drinks has had a detrimental impact on their health (i.e. teeth decay/ weight gain/ dehydration)
- 23% of Brits believe that sugary food has a higher concentration of sugar than drinks
- 22% of Brits say sugar is their biggest vice in life
- 12% of Brits say that their sugar addiction stems from sugary drinks
To inspire those who struggle to reach their recommended daily intake of water, air up is a world first in food technology that utilises retronasal smell to provide a zero calorie, zero sugar, zero additive way to drink 100% pure water which tastes flavoured.
What is retronasal smell?
Studies have shown that up to 80% of the flavour we perceive comes from smell, not taste, which is why the smell of food is so linked to appetite and why people hold their nose when they eat or drink something unpleasant. When we eat or drink, flavour filled air rises up to our nose and takes our senses beyond the five basic tastes of sweet, sour, bitter, salty and umami.
So how does air up work?
air up harnesses this clever bit of science by infusing flavoured air into every sip of water from the bottle. One of 14 different flavours will be added in bubbles every time you drink and it is this that will give your 100% pure water its flavour. Each pod contains natural flavourings and scents that infuse with ambient air to be added to the pure water, these flavours range from Lime and Orange-Passionfruit to Cola and Iced Coffee with ten others in between.
Who came up with this amazing idea?
The first prototype for air up was developed by Lena Jüngst and Tim Jäger in 2016 and spent three years in development, including a Master’s thesis on aromas, to combine innovative design and the neuroscience behind the idea and turn it into a real product. Since then, air up has successfully launched in Germany, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria and the Netherlands, with more than half a million customers already. Now Lena and the team are bringing this innovative way to drink water to the UK.
Where can I buy one?
air up’s reusable water bottles and fully recyclable flavour pods are available from their website. The Starter Set, including one bottle and two scent pods, is priced at £29.95 to £34.95 depending on the colour of the bottle. Each additional pack of three pods (flavouring a minimum of 15 litres of water) then costs between £5.95 to £8.95, depending on the flavour.
