For such a simple, unassuming beverage, water is bizarrely popular on social media. If you’ve ever been bored to tears by the taste of the plain stuff, an entire community on TikTok dedicated to developing new and exciting variants has your back. Every few months, it seems, a new trend emerges from the niche informally known as WaterTok. Right now, it’s all about brewing “stacked water,” which, like its predecessors, aims to make the simple act of hydration a little more fun (and perhaps, more healthy) by adulterating H2O with a range of mix-ins.
What is stacked water?
As the name might suggest, the stacked water trend aims to elevate plain water into a more broad-spectrum health drink. Creator @itsjeffreyshouse, who helped popularize stacked water in the first place, probably offers the most apt description in a January 14 video: “It’s basically a super water that is easy to customize with what you need.” Not only will the water itself hydrate, but “boosters” can target specific physical symptoms or performance concerns, flavoring can improve the taste, and added fiber will help increase your overall intake for the day—an increasing priority for many TikTokers thanks to the fibermaxxing craze.
@itsjeffreyshouse let’s make the stacked water of the day 🍓💦🫐 #loadedwater #fundrinks #wateroftheday #creatorsearchinsights #electrolytes @Blume Supply Inc. @vitalproteinscanada @Jacked Factory ♬ Sweat and Hustle - The Brazilians of Bossa Nova
To make stacked water, you start with a normal water base (either still or sparkling is fine), then add boosters like collagen (for a protein boost), creatine (for improved muscle strength and athletic performance), probiotics (for better gut health), electrolytes (for faster workout recovery), and vitamin C (for a stronger immune system); flavoring agents like honey, coconut water, or lemon juice; and a fiber source like flax seeds or chia seeds. (Plus ice for a long-lasting chill!)
For an easy-to-imitate stacked water recipe, look no further than Stackhouse’s own TikTok page. In the January 14 video, he uses two teaspoons of Vital Proteins collagen, strawberry puree, lemon juice, a scoop of Jacked Factory creatine, a Blume SuperBelly acai pomegranate “probiotic hydration powder,” and an elderberry “immunity powder” with vitamins and electrolytes, in that order. In other videos, he substitutes mango pulp and coconut water; frozen mixed berries and strawberry Liquid IV; and black cherry juice, an elderberry Emergen-C, lime juice, chia seeds, and cold brew hibiscus tea. Whatever the blend, you should end up with a colorful liquid that resembles fruit punch.
@itsjeffreyshouse 🥭🥥💦 mango coconut stacked water of the day 2 tsp collagen (10g protein) 1 cup water to dissolve collagen 4 cups ice 3 tbsp mango puree Juice of 1 lemon (vitamin C) Blume SuperBelly Mango Passionfruit packet (probiotics) 3 cups coconut water (electrolytes) #creatorsearchinsights #loadedwater #wateroftheday #electrolytes #fundrinks @Blume Supply Inc. @vitalproteinscanada @Jacked Factory ♬ Idyllic jazz bossa nova with piano and guitar(1298871) - TAKANORI ONDA
Is stacked water actually better for you?
While there are many social media fads that make pros roll their eyes or wring their hands, stacked water isn’t necessarily one of them, Ethan Balk, PhD, RDN, associate professor of clinical nutrition and the director of the master’s programs in clinical nutrition at New York University's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Development, tells SELF.
“I think it’s a nice way to mix it up. You know, as long as we’re not going overboard,” he says.
You’ll want to be conscious of how much of each supplement you’re adding, and watch out for excess calories, sugar, and salt. In many cases, those latter two are “the main ingredients in some of these supplements,” and “you're really kind of doing yourself a disservice by adding that to your water” in significant amounts, Dr. Balk says. Supplements are regulated as food rather than drugs by the FDA, so there is often little research available about their specific health effects.
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Besides, most people don’t actually need extra protein or electrolytes in the first place. In fact, consuming too many electrolytes can actually “screw up the [fluid] balance in the body,” Dr. Balk says. You might “retain water if you have too much salt or sugar in the system.” Similarly, overloading on creatine, probiotics, and fiber can have unpleasant side effects. “That can create a party in your digestive tract that nobody wants,” Dr. Balk says (read: “major GI distress”).
Given all these caveats, don’t make the mistake of thinking that stacked water is inherently superior to the OG, according to Dr. Balk. In his opinion, supplements won’t “move the scale much” for your health, and the benefits primarily hinge on the increased appeal and palatability of flavored water. Introducing new ingredients “can definitely change up the taste, which is a big deal in terms of getting people to try to continue to have fluids every day,” he says. Even a slice of lemon can do a lot to “break up the monotony.” (And FYI, he notes, the concept of stacking water isn’t exactly some earth-shattering new nutrition discovery: Hospital clinicians have long added Crystal Light to water to encourage patients to drink more.)
@itsjeffreyshouse 🍏🥒💚💦 stacked water of the day apple cucumber chlorophyll stacked water. crisp, clean, and not too sweet. this one feels super refreshing and makes drinking a big cup of water easy. ~110 calories, ~12 g sugar, 10 g protein, plus electrolytes. apple cucumber chlorophyll stacked water apple cucumber chlorophyll stacked water (40oz) 3 cups water 3 cups ice 2 tsp collagen peptides, 10 g protein 1 scoop creatine 1/4 cup cucumber 1 small apple 1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar 1 apple Hydralyte electrolyte packet juice of 1/2 lemon 1 dropper chlorophyll, dissolved in some water first 1 cup mint tea, brewed and chilled #stackedwater #wateroftheday #watertok #loadedwater #electrolytes @Vital Proteins Shop @Harmless Harvest @Liquid I.V.® Canada @Amazon @NoFrills @Hydralyte Australia ♬ Slowly Getting Joyful - LoFi Siberinyan
If you are itching to try the stacked water trend, you’ll want to limit the number you drink per day to one or two. You don’t have to be sipping constantly. (And don’t forget that it is in fact possible to drink too much water, a phenomenon known as “hyperhydration,” Dr. Balk notes.)
You also shouldn’t make stacked water your sole source of fluids. Try to drink some regular water during the day as well, according to Dr. Balk. And remember, other beverages—coffee, tea, seltzer, you name it—are “all going to add to your hydration count” too.
Originally published on SELF.
