Topo Chico is a popular bottled mineral water brand with a distinct yellow label that’s bottled in Mexico. The brand sells an unflavored version and three flavored versions.
But what ingredients are used to flavor Topo Chico? Are the drinks bad for you? Is mineral water healthier than regular water? And what do the reports about PFAS in Topo Chico mean?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Topo Chico to give our take on whether or not it's bad for you.
We’ll also discuss whether mineral water like Topo Chico is healthier than regular tap water, explain the research report that found Topo Chico to be high in per-and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), and compare the healthiness of Topo Chico to other popular bottled water brands like La Croix.
Key takeaways:
- Unflavored version is good for you
- Flavored versions are OK in moderation but less healthy
- We do not consider Topo Chico to be bad for you overall
Ingredient Analysis
The ingredients in the unflavored version of Topo Chico are shown below:
The fact that there are no additive ingredients in this water brand, along with the fact that it’s packaged in glass, make it healthier in our opinion (and better for the environment) than the average water brand packaged in plastic.
Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical found in some plastic bottles, and was shown in a 2020 medical review to be estrogenic and hormone-disrupting. BPA can leach into water (or food) from packaging.
The flavored versions of Topo Chico are not naturally flavored with the fruits in their name, but with flavoring additives, as shown in the ingredient list from the “Twist of Lime” Topo Chico drink below:
Citric acid is a preservative and flavor enhancer that’s clinically shown to cause whole-body inflammation in some individuals, as we documented in our Waterdrop review article on another brand that uses this ingredient.
Natural flavor is healthier than artificial flavor in our opinion, but is a broad descriptor that fails to identify the specific flavoring chemicals used.
A medical review published in the Environmental Health Perspectives journal suggests that some flavoring additives and their metabolites may have toxic effects.
Overall, we recommend Topo Chico unflavored but not the flavored versions of the brand based on their ingredients.
But what does it mean that researchers found PFAS in Topo Chico? We’ll share our thoughts on that topic in the next section.
Researchers Find PFAS in Topo Chico
PFAS are commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” because they take so long to biodegrade.
Exposure to PFAS has been associated with risk of kidney disease, thyroid dysfunction, insulin dysregulation and other negative health effects according to a medical review published in the Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry journal.
Put simply: it makes sense to reduce exposure to PFAS as much as possible.
A study published by Consumer Reports found Topo Chico to have the highest PFAS levels of any bottled water brand tested.
A more recent study published by Consumer Reports found that Topo Chico had reduced its PFAS levels by more than 50%, but that the levels in the bottled water were still “above a cutoff recommended by scientists and advocates.”
An animated YouTube video published by Alaska Public Media is under two minutes long and discusses some potential sources of PFAS in a regular American’s day:
Is Mineral Water Healthier?
Topo Chico is a mineral water, which typically refers to water derived from a mineral spring outdoors.
Mineral water can be higher in minerals than tap water, but not enough to make any significant health difference in our opinion.
As an example, the only mineral listed on Topo Chico’s Nutrition Facts label is calcium at a dose of 40 milligrams (mg).
This is one-third of the calcium dose in one single slice of cheddar cheese, according to the USDA.
All things being equal, we would recommend mineral water over regular tap water, but the most important consideration for bottled water sourcing is contamination in our opinion. Minerals can be obtained from food.
Topo Chico vs. Popular Bottled Water
Here's how Topo Chico compares to other popular bottled water brands in terms of healthiness, in our opinion:
blk Water
Contains fulvic acid (the compound that gives the water a black color), which is clinically shown to support optimal gut health and reduce inflammation.
However, the negative health effects of single-use plastic outweigh the health benefits of fulvic acid.
If blk Water was packaged in glass we would recommend it over Topo Chico, but Topo Chico wins from a healthiness perspective when considering the packaging.
Winner: Topo Chico
La Croix
All La Croix flavors contain natural flavor, which is a poorly defined term that can include a wide range of questionable chemical compounds.
We consider the unflavored version of Topo Chico to be healthier.
Winner: Topo Chico
Hint Water
Packaged in single-use plastic and contains natural flavors.
Topo Chico is the healthier choice.
Winner: Topo Chico
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.
