It’s no secret that soda, even the sugar-free kind, may have health consequences if you drink it often. Enter sparkling water, a still-fizzy but more health-conscious alternative to soft drinks.
But can carbonated water cause a stomachache or other side effects? And is it any better than your favorite soda?
Well, when it comes to meeting your daily fluid needs, carbonated water makes a much better choice than a soft drink that’s devoid of nutrients. In other words: No, carbonated water is not bad for you, according to Mayo Clinic.
According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, sparkling water hydrates people just as well as still water. And because sparkling water typically doesn’t contain many calories or additives, it can also help with weight loss, if that’s your goal. And it doesn’t contribute to negative health effects the way that soft drinks might.
Still, you may still get some unpleasant side effects from the carbonation in your fizzy drink. Here are the disadvantages of sparkling water to be aware of.
Types of Carbonated Water
You’d think it would be fairly easy to find a fizzy water. But as you take a walk down the drink aisle of your grocery store, you’ll see that the shelves are stocked with carbonated water cans of all varieties. As a result, you might wonder what’s in a soda water versus other types of sparkling drinks.
So, what is a soda water, seltzer, mineral water, and more? Here are the various types of carbonated water, according to Cleveland Clinic:
- Seltzer, carbonated or soda water: Plain water with added carbonation.
- Club soda: Plain water with added carbonation and minerals, like sodium bicarbonate.
- Mineral water: Spring water with naturally occurring minerals and carbonation.
- Tonic water: Plain water with added carbonation, sweeteners like sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, and minerals like quinine that give it a bitter taste.
In general, carbonated water is okay for you, so long as you’re picking drinks that don’t contain added sweeteners. For instance, seltzer water is not bad for you, according to Cleveland Clinic.
But some fizzy waters, like tonic water, can include sugary additives. It’s best to limit or avoid these options. (More on that later.)
Some types of sparkling water also have sodium. For instance, soda water is made of minerals and can contain as much as 94 milligrams (mg) per 16 ounces (oz), according to My Food Data. So, you may be better off with seltzer water.
Carbonated Water Side Effects
It isn’t bad to drink sparkling water — in fact, it’s a good idea to sip some if it helps you stay hydrated. But even though it’s okay to drink sparkling water every day, it’s possible you could have certain side effects.
Here are some of those potential downsides:
1. Sparkling Water Can Cause Upset Stomach and Bloating
If it feels like your stomach is sensitive to sparkling water, you’re not imagining things. There’s a link between carbonated water and stomach pain, and other digestive discomforts.
By its very definition, bloating develops when your gastrointestinal tract is filled with air or gas, according to Mayo Clinic. And those bubbles in your carbonated water are an added gas. As a result, sparkling water can make you bloated.
Carbonated water can also cause stomach ache, pain, gas, and belching for the same reason, according to Mayo Clinic.
If you regularly get stomach pain after drinking sparkling water, try cutting back.
While carbonated water can cause gas and other kinds of digestive discomfort, sparkling water may be helpful for your stomach in certain ways.
Carbonated or soda water is good for you when you’re nauseous because it hydrates you, particularly if you’re vomiting or have diarrhea, according to Mayo Clinic. Just make sure to avoid drinks that contain caffeine, which could further irritate your stomach and negate this benefit of carbonated drinks.
2. It Can Contribute to Heartburn
Carbonated water can cause heartburn, also known as acid reflux, according to Mayo Clinic.
Acid reflux happens when stomach acid flows backward into your esophagus, causing a painful burning feeling in your chest or throat. Occasional heartburn is very common, and you can typically treat it using over-the-counter antacids.
But if you get heartburn often — specifically, mild heartburn twice a week or more and severe heartburn once a week or more — you may have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a long-term form of the condition, according to Cleveland Clinic.
If this is the case for you, be aware that sparkling water and seltzer can cause heartburn. And because sparkling water and seltzer may trigger acid reflux, cutting back on sparkling drinks may help ease your symptoms.
Along with carbonated beverages, other drinks and foods to avoid with GERD, according to Cleveland Clinic, include:
- Caffeinated drinks
- Alcohol
- Tomatoes
- Citrus fruits or juices
- Spicy food
- Anything particularly greasy or fatty
3. It Can Damage Your Tooth Enamel
Repeated exposure to soda can erode enamel, and adhesive materials used to repair or strengthen damaged or decayed teeth. As it turns out, some carbonated waters (even plain kinds) can also have a negative effect on your teeth.
Researchers found carbonated water to be worse for enamel than lime juice or lime soda, according to a study in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Dentistry.
That’s because carbonated water is acidic. Sparkling waters appear to have a pH that ranges from about 4.18 to 5.87, according to research in The Korean Journal of Orthodontics. Still, other research suggests even lower levels. The tipping point where enamel starts to break down is at pH 5.5.
Just how acidic is your carbonated water? That’s not exactly something you can find out on the nutrition facts panel. But a decent guideline is that the more carbonated the water tastes, the more acidic it’s likely to be.
In The Korean Journal of Orthodontics study, researchers tested two levels of carbonated water (“low” and “high,” according to an indicator light on an at-home carbonated-water maker) on extracted teeth. They found that both carbonation levels affected enamel and so-called microhardness, but the high-level carbonation was more detrimental than the low level.
Another drawback to always choosing carbonated water over tap water is that sparkling water lacks fluoride. Fluoridated water is especially important for young children’s teeth, and most tap water in the United States contains added fluoride. So, if your kid has a preference for carbonated water, that’s OK — just be sure to also serve them water that’s fluoridated.
4. It Could Expose You to Harmful Compounds
Consumer Reports tested 12 carbonated water brands for four specific heavy metals and 30 PFAS (short for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances). The researchers didn’t detect any heavy metals in any of the carbonated water brands they tested.
But they did find PFAS in sparkling and seltzer water. PFAS are a class of chemicals also known as “forever chemicals,” because they don’t break down and can build up in your body and the environment.
In animal studies, PFAS can contribute to reproductive and developmental problems and tumor growth. In humans, PFAS are linked to higher cholesterol, thyroid and immune system issues, and cancer risk, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
More specifically, the Consumer Reports tests detected PFAS in certain flavors of certain brands. Here’s that sparkling water PFAS list:
- Perrier
- LaCroix
- Canada Dry
- Poland Spring
- Bubly
- Polar
- Topo Chico
That said, the sparkling waters’ PFAS levels detected were all well below the voluntary limits put out by the EPA.
Can You Drink Too Much Seltzer or Sparkling Water?
The answer isn’t so simple. It depends on your body, your reaction to carbonation, and the type of fizzy water you drink.
Carbonation is not inherently bad for you, and it is not bad to drink a lot of sparkling water. But if you find that sipping seltzer leads to side effects like gas or bloating, you may want to scale back on fizzy drinks or opt for still water instead, according to Cleveland Clinic. What’s more, aim to drink beverages that don’t contain additives like sugar or caffeine.
The bottom line: Listen to your body.
5. You Might Get Overactive Bladder Symptoms
Drinking carbonated water is also linked with symptoms of overactive bladder. This condition affects nearly a quarter of the adult U.S. population, and it’s typically more prevalent in people assigned female at birth than in people assigned male at birth.
Symptoms of overactive bladder include urinary urgency, or a sudden urge to pee, that may or may not come with incontinence.
Drinking as little as one carbonated beverage per week upped the risk of urinary stress incontinence in middle-aged people, according to a review in Medicina that studied more than 6,000 people assigned female at birth. And drinking one a day doubles the risk of stress incontinence.
6. It Might Add Extra Sodium to Your Diet
In most cases, too much carbonated water is not bad for you. But some varieties may contain additional ingredients that aren’t so good for your health.
Take club soda, for instance. Often used as a mixer for alcoholic drinks, club soda usually has added minerals, including potassium and sodium, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Both minerals are crucial for your health, but it’s important to limit sodium. Some brands of club soda can have up to 100 mg of sodium per 12 oz, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is 7 percent of the 1,500 mg that the American Heart Association recommends as an ideal daily limit for most adults, particularly those who have high blood pressure.
That amount may not seem like a lot, but most adults already take in too much sodium in their daily diets — more than 3,400 mg per day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). So if you drink several club sodas each day, that’s going to add a lot of extra sodium to your diet.
Taking in too much sodium can raise your blood pressure and is linked to the development of heart disease and stroke, according to the CDC. That’s why adults should aim to eat less than 2,300 mg of sodium per day, according to the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
7. It Can Harm Your Kidneys (if You Have Kidney Disease)
Similarly, the excess sodium in club soda is best avoided if you have an underlying kidney condition, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Too much sodium can build up in your body and cause further issues, including:
- Swollen ankles
- Puffiness
- Blood pressure spikes
- Shortness of breath
- Fluid buildup around your heart and lungs
That’s why it’s best to limit your sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day if you have a kidney disorder or high blood pressure, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Consuming too much sodium can also contribute to hard deposits of mineral buildups called kidney stones, even in people who don’t have an existing kidney condition, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).
8. It Can Contain Added Sweeteners
Sodium isn’t the only additive to look out for in your sparkling beverage of choice. Some can also contain sweeteners like sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, according to the CDC.
Added sugar provides extra calories to your diet without contributing any nutrients. In fact, sugar-sweetened drinks are the main source of added sugars in the American diet, and they’re linked with overweight and obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney diseases, tooth decay, and a type of arthritis called gout, according to the CDC.
Tonic water tends to contain the most sweeteners, according to Cleveland Clinic. That’s why some people drink it before a workout. On the other hand, soda water does not have sugar, typically, so it may be your best bet if you’re trying to avoid these additives.
Don’t Believe the Hype About These Carbonated Water Side Effects
There are some other rumored consequences to drinking sparkling water. But the below claims are just that: rumors. There’s no good evidence to suggest that you’ll get these side effects.
1. It’s Linked With Bone Problems
Some claim that carbonated beverages affect your ability to absorb calcium. That might lead you to believe that there’s a connection between carbonated water and joint pain.
This claim may have to do with the fact that certain ingredients found in colas, namely caffeine and phosphorous, might negatively affect your bone density, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation.
But carbonated water is not bad for your bones and typically does not contain those ingredients, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
2. It Could Mess With Your pH
Carbonation increases acidity, and acidity in itself isn’t problematic. But if your system becomes too acidic, it can have a negative effect on your health, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
Sparkling water tends to have a lower pH, meaning it’s more acidic than alkaline, according to McGill University. But fortunately, this acidic bias won’t harm you.
3. It Can Make You Hungry
Some small animal studies have suggested that drinking carbonated water is linked with increased appetite. But most of the evidence supports the opposite.
Indeed, drinking carbonated water has been linked with short-term feelings of fullness, according to Cleveland Clinic.
For instance, in a small, older study of 19 people assigned female at birth, those who drank carbonated water (versus tap or no beverage at all) after an overnight fast reported feeling fuller, according to a study in the Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology.
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