Some Facts to Consider When Drinking Sparkling Water

After purchasing a soda maker this past year, I began to wonder if there are any potential negative effects on your health from drinking carbonated water. After researching this subject, I found that in general drinking sparkling water has little or no detrimental effects on your health. The carbonation process, which produces that enjoyable bubbly fizz in water, does make it slightly more acidic than regular water. It can potentially have more harmful effects on your teeth. However, the risks of damage are rather low.

Be mindful of what is in your water. Certain flavors are added to carbonated waters for enhanced flavor and taste. However, be careful of citrus additives because they are higher in acidity levels which can increase the risk of damage to your enamel. It is better to drink the carbonated water at one sitting or with meals rather than sipping on it throughout the day. Constant exposure can increase the potential of enamel breakdown on teeth which could lead to tooth decay. Drinking through a straw would be helpful in minimizing contact of the drink to tooth enamel.

 

For your digestive well being carbonated water might work either way for some people. It could help relieve indigestion, however, for some individuals who have a history of GI problems, drinking carbonated water could potentiate these issues and therefore should be avoided.

Another common concern is the effects of carbonated products on bone health. Studies in the past show that colas soft drinks may be linked to lower bone mineral density due to phosphoric acid in these products. However, research at this time has not shown negative effects on bone health from drinking sparkling water.

It is great to replace soda with sparkling water, however, do not replace fluoridated water with sparkling water. Drinking regular fluoridated water is the best beverage to help reduce cavity formation for your teeth.

Being environmentally conscious, using a soda maker can save on the disposal of nonperishable containers.