What in the World is “Thick Water”?

Should you drink water that you need to chew? Are there health benefits?

“This water is great, but I wish it had more texture, you know? A thicker mouthfeel?” Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

Recently, I saw someone ask a popular Twitch streamer if they were interested in drinking some “thick water” on stream.

This got my attention, because I’d not heard of this before. Thick water? What made water thick, or thin? Why would someone want to thicken their water? Was it a health fad, or a TikTok trend, or are there actual benefits?

It turns out that this was, indeed, a TikTok trend from last year. The burst of viral videos led, predictably, to backlash and criticism.

As an Old, I missed this viral trend, but I found thick water to be fascinating. Let’s take a look at why it’s made, how it’s made, and whether it’s worth seeking out, or if you should even try making your own.

Let’s see why this stuff is making a splash!

What is thick water, and why is it made?

First off, thick water is precisely what its name says: it’s plain, unflavored water that has some form of thickening agent added to it. It’s usually thickened either with starch or with gum, such as xanthan gum.

The primary use of thickened water is to allow people with swallowing difficulties to…