Can a simple drink make you intelligent?

Since it was the best deal in town, I bought a large bottle of drinking water for $1. Little did I know at the time that I would get a lot more for my money than the 33.8-ounce of water inside the container.
Because I had never tried Glacéau smartwater before, I was pleased when the cashier at Target praised the item. She also let me know that it does a lot more than “hydrate responsibly.”
(Photo courtesy of Glaceau).
The cashier’s story began when her boyfriend recommended that she drink smartwater before she took some big tests. She did just that and surprisingly passed the exams.
“And, another friend who normally doesn’t even pass his tests also drank the water and did well. This was really a big deal for him,” the cashier said.
Unbelievably, I was able to keep a straight face when I admitted that I had never heard of this before. Since I had nothing to offer, I smiled and thanked the Target worker for her good words.
Actually, I appreciated the friendly cashier’s “thumbs up,” I really did. Because the truth is, I can use all the help that I can get when it comes to taking college tests.
Long after I left Target, I could not get the so-called elixir and its possibilities off my mind. Sure, I was skeptical. But, who am I to judge something badly before I even try it? After all, colleges teach students to keep an open mind and think critically.
Therefore, I conducted an online survey to learn if other students had had similar positive experiences with using Glaceau smartwater before tests. Among the 170 students invited by e-mail, 18 participated in the survey.
When students were ask if they had ever tried Glacéau smartwater before, 38.9 percent had tried it and the same percentage had not. Additionally, 16.7 percent drink the water regularly and 5.6 percent did not know if they had ever had it before.
When students were asked if they or their friends had personally consumed smartwater before taking school tests, 5.6 percent said yes. However, 66.7 percent said no and 27.8 percent did not know.
While 11.1 percent said Glaceau smartwater makes you more intelligent, 55.6 percent said no and 5.6 percent did not care. Also, of the 27.8 percent who were unsure, Krista Manuelson said, “Is it smart to drink smartwater? Are you smart for drinking it or smarter for drinking it?”
Thus, overall, results of this survey showed that it might be wiser if learners relied on more than well-regarded water for their academic success. And, although vapor distillation and electrolyte-enhancement might be as good as hydration, scholars interested in improving their test scores and grade point averages might want to take a look at more tried and true methods to become smarter when taking tests.
And, after trying those more reliable academic approaches, if students still want to imbibe on a little wonder water to stay hydrated during a test, then that’s OK. Like one student, Tammy Robertson, said, “People need to stay hydrated while learning. So drink up everybody ... it sure cannot make you dumber.”