'Hydration is a simple thing': has the quest to improve water actually worked?

From alkaline waters to beauty elixirs, added oxygen and probiotics, many brands claim they have enhanced' water - but what do the experts think?

Today, when I woke up, I made myself a cup of warm lemon water. After lunch I dropped a Berocca into a glass to power me through the afternoon haze. Running errands I considered treating myself to a Coke but opted instead for an expensive, vegetable-tasting water.

H2O classic may be a prerequisite to all known forms of life, but countless brands insist they have found ways to improve" water. From a business standpoint, it's working. Industry researchers IbisWorld estimate Australia's functional beverage" industry is worth $445.6m; and as people become more health conscious, the growth of the sector is outpacing the economy overall.