Is Carbonated Water Bad For Health?

Hello All!!!

Isn’t it refreshing to have carbonated water with a dash of lemon squeezed in? I personally prefer having it with lemon and salt without any sugar. It is a great alternative to sugar loaded soft drinks.

However, there have been concerns that it can be bad for health. The question here is : Is carbonated water bad for health or not! Let us look at it in detail and find out.

Carbonated water

It is water to which carbon dioxide has been infused under pressure. The resultant drink is bubbly and is called soda, club soda or sparkling water. In India, it is commonly called as soda.

Carbonated water is acidic

The reaction between carbon dioxide and water produce carbonic acid. It is a weak acid that is known to stimulate the nerve receptors in the mouth that triggers a prickly and slight burning sensation in the mouth that can be both and enjoyable and irritating. The pH of carbonated water is between 3 and 4 making it slightly acidic. But drinking acidic beverage of this kind will not make your body acidic. The kidneys and lungs remove the excess carbon dioxide and this keeps the blood slightly alkaline no matter what you drink or eat!

Does carbonated water affect oral health?

The major concern that people have about club soda is its effect on the teeth as the tooth enamel is exposed to the acid directly. The research done in this regard is very less but in one study it was found that the damage on enamel is only slight and about 100 times less damaging than sugary soft drinks. So, you should be more worried about sugar sweetened carbonated drinks!

Effects of carbonated water on digestion

Digestive health can get benefitted by drinking carbonated water. Read on!

1) It improves the ability to swallow

It might be surprising but studies say that sparkling water can improve the ability to swallow. In a study, people were asked to swallow different liquids. Carbonated water is said to show the strongest ability improve swallowing function.

2) It might increase feelings of fullness

Soda or carbonated water is helpful in keeping you full for long when compared to plain water. Carbonated water helps in keeping food in the stomach longer and this can trigger a feeling of fullness. However, there is a need for studies to confirm the results.

3) It relieves constipation

People who suffer from constipation feel that drinking sparkling water helps in relieving the symptoms. Those who have symptoms of indigestion like stomach pain can also get some relief by drinking carbonated water.

Is bone health affected by carbonated water?

People are of the opinion that because of having high acid content carbonated drinks are bad for the bones. But research claims that carbonation is not to blame. It is cola that lowers bone mineral density and not carbonated water.

Carbonated water and heart health

The research on how club soda affects heart health is very limited but it is very positive. According to a study, those who drank sodium rich soda water had a decrease in bad cholesterol (LDL), blood sugar and inflammatory markers. There was also an increase in good cholesterol. However, more research is required!

The bottom line

There is currently no evidence to prove that carbonated water is bad for you! So, you can happily go ahead and enjoy it!

Hope you liked this post ‘Is carbonated water bad for health or not?’

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