blk Water is a unique bottled water brand. The water is colored black, is alkaline, and the brand claims that “fulvic trace minerals” give it its distinct color and health benefits.
But what are fulvic trace minerals and are they actually healthy? Is alkaline water better for you than regular water? Is blk Water worth the money? And what was our experience trying blk Water for a week?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze clinical studies to give our take on whether or not blk Water is actually healthier than tap water.
We’ll also analyze the ingredients in blk Water, and share our honest experience purchasing and testing this product over the course of a week.
Key takeaways:
- Fulvic acid & alkaline water may support optimal health
- blk Water Original is packaged in plastic which negates potential health benefits
- We currently recommend blk Water Fulvic Acid Drops
Is Fulvic Acid Actually Healthy?
Most of the marketing of blk Water centers on its active ingredient fulvic acid, which turns the water black:
Fulvic acid is a compound found in soil that can be isolated and taken as a dietary supplement. Some clinical studies suggest that it improves health.
A medical review published in the Journal of Diabetes Research found that fulvic acid can improve gastrointestinal health and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
A 2011 clinical trial found that fulvic acid may improve cognitive function in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
There is not much research on fulvic acid, but the early research seems promising.
Our main issue with blk Water is that the dose of fulvic acid does not appear to be published anywhere on their site or bottle. At least, we cannot find it.
Without knowing the dose of fulvic acid, it’s hard to say whether the water is healthy or safe.
A 2020 medical review concluded that fulvic acid was safe for use in humans at daily doses up to 1.8 grams (g).
The amount in blk Water is likely less than 1.8 grams, but it’s confusing to us that the brand seems to not publish dosage information for what is the main active ingredient in their drink.
Confusing Nutrition Facts Label
blk Water’s label describes the product as “a blend of fulvic trace minerals, hydration & electrolytes.”
However the Nutrition Facts label, shown below, does not list any electrolytes:
Sodium, which is an electrolyte, is listed at a 0% Daily Value (DV) dose, and there are no other electrolytes like magnesium or calcium listed on the label.
And if the mineral content of blk Water is so trace that it doesn’t even meet the 1% DV that would be listed on a Nutrition Facts label, then what is the purpose?
Taking extremely small doses of minerals via an expensive bottled water does not seem like a logical way to get adequate minerals compared to just getting them from foods.
We find this brand overall to be highly confusing.
blk Water makes bold health claims about the fulvic acid and trace minerals in their water, but fails to publish a dose of the fulvic acid or any information about the quantity of minerals in the water (because the Nutrition Facts label says none).
We Tested blk Water
As the author of this article, I wanted to try blk Water myself to share my thoughts on its taste and effects.
The taste and appearance of this product are certainly unique. I've never consumed water that was pitch black before in my life.
I will say that the taste grew on me while I continued to drink the bottle, and the best way I can describe the taste is pure water with a hint of mineral-rich ash. It really tasted like water mixed with a small amount of volcanic ash, probably due to the fulvic acid.
I didn't notice any particular effects compared to drinking regular water, but I'd imagine you'd need to drink this water exclusively over the course of weeks to give it a chance to produce noticeable effects.
However, the brand recently announced that their products are available in cans, and I would consider purchasing a can of blk if I saw it at a local retail store.
I don't personally think any potential health benefits from the fulvic acid and trace minerals outweigh any potential health downsides from consuming water out of single-use plastic (especially for men), and I do not purchase single-use plastic bottles.
Overall, I would not purchase this product again and would rate it a 5/10.
Our Take – Is blk Water Healthy?
blk Water may be somewhat healthier than regular water but it’s too early to say so conclusively in our opinion.
It is notable that this water is alkaline, which may confer health benefits because alkaline water consumption was shown in a clinical trial published in the Medical Gas Research journal to improve gut health and increase sleep quality.
The combination of alkaline water and fulvic acid do offer some potential health benefits, but in our opinion any potential benefit is offset by the fact that the water is sold in single-use plastic bottles.
We know from an extensive meta-study published in 2022 that microplastic contamination is greater in bottled water than tap water, and microplastic ingestion is a toxicity risk for humans as described in the above-linked study.
Buying bottled water in single-use plastic not only exposes consumers to potentially higher microplastic ingestion, but also furthers the problem, because when the bottles are disposed they contaminate natural ecosystems.
blk sells a Mineral Drops product on Amazon which contains the fulvic acid and alkaline water but is packaged in glass.
This is the blk product we would recommend to consumers who are interested in the brand, rather than the water.
blk Water vs. Popular Healthy Water Brands
Here's how blk Water stacks up against other popular water brands marketed as healthy options, in our opinion:
Kangen
One of the most expensive water brands on the market, Kangen is a device that ionizes water and outputs hydrogen-rich alkaline water.
As we documented in our Kangen review article, hydrogen-rich water is clinically shown to have additional health benefits in early, experimental research.
Winner: Kangen
Smartwater
Contains negligible levels of electrolytes, does not appear to be alkaline, and suffers from the same plastic bottling issue of blk Water.
Winner: blk Water
Essentia
Like blk Water, this brand sells plastic-bottled alkaline water.
However, blk Water gets the slight edge here because of the fulvic acid drops which we recommend.
Winner: blk Water
Our Clean Water Picks
Brita Water Filter is our top water filter pick.
It's affordable, and has been shown in independent tests to remove both contaminants and microplastics.
Pique Daily Radiance is our top water flavoring pick.
These packets are naturally flavored with nutritious ingredients like organic elderberry juice concentrate (which is clinically shown to support the immune system) and organic lemon juice concentrate.
blk Water Pros and Cons
Here are the pros and cons of blk Water in our opinion:
Pros:
- Contains fulvic acid which is clinically shown to reduce inflammation
- May contain trace minerals
- Alkaline water is clinically shown to support optimal health
- Brand now offers canned version
- Fulvic Acid drops packaged in glass
- Free shipping from brand's website
Cons:
- blk Water Original is packaged in single-use plastic
- Confusing mineral claims on brand's website
- Fulvic acid dose not clearly published
- Doesn't appear to be clinically tested
