Is Carbonated Water Good for You as Regular Water?

0
191
Is Carbonated Water Good for You? Top 7 Benefits
carbonated water good for you

Carbonated water is similar to several beverages. At times people prefer drinking this as an alternative to water. However, even though nothing can compensate for the benefits of plain water, but you can always choose  sparkling water over many soft drinks. It can offer several health benefits and quench your thirst. So, read ahead, and we will tell precisely why is carbonated water good for you and your health overall!

What is carbonated water?

Before we get into details about why is carbonated water good for you, let us check what it is!

Suppose someone infuses carbon dioxide is inside a bottle of water. It adds bubbles under a certain amount of pressure. The result you get is carbonated water. Many people refer to this as sparkling water as well for the sparkles they see inside.

Manufacturers add other minerals, including salt (sodium), to this beverage to make it a good one. Few carbonated mineral water beverages naturally contain minerals in softer compounds that are good for your health.

If someone possesses any difficulty in drinking normal water, this drink can be a preferable alternative. Hydration of the body is one of the most crucial aspects. And carbonated water provides better hydration for the body as it contains minerals.

In addition to that, carbonated water provides calories. So, you can use it as an energy drink also.  You can obtain carbonated water naturally, too.

So, now you know what makes carbonated water good for you. However, excessive consumption may lead to side effects. Read on to know the carbonated water benefits and much more in the following sections.

Carbonated water can be bought from grocery stores

Carbonated Water Benefits

Sparkling water water has been available in the market for a very long time now. People generally drink this as a beverage and not as a permanent alternative to plain water. And the mineral content present in this beverage is good for your health. So, let us check why is carbonated water good for you:

1. Nerve receptor stimulation

When someone infuses carbon dioxide in a bottle of water, it reacts with water. The reaction forms a weak acid called carbonic acid(H₂CO₃).

This carbonic acid stimulates some nerve receptors in your mouth, which creates a prickly sensation. And anyone who drinks this beverage enjoys this sensation. Even cinnamon and mustard are products that can stimulate nerve receptors.

2. Improves swallowing

It might be surprising, but this beverage can boost swallowing capabilities for both adults and young people. In an experiment, it is found that the people drinking carbonated water had a better swallowing ability.

This is because the nerves responsible for swallowing got stimulated by carbonated water. The coldness of carbonated water is also beneficial for this stimulation.

3. Keep stomach full for long

This beverage can keep you full for a long time, which plain water does not. The drink helps keep the food we intake in the first part of the stomach for a longer period.

And this action triggers the sensation of fullness.  All of which can keep you away from munching on unhealthy snacks. Thus, it prevents you from consuming extra calories, which may result in obesity.

4. Improves digestion

Through various and series of experiments, it is found that carbonated water can reduce chronic constipation. It can also reduce other stomach-related problems such as stomach pain, indigestion, etc.

Small controlled trials have been found significant benefits while comparing carbonated and normal water.

5. Helps in calcium retention

For better calcium retention, carbonated water is always preferable. A study was done on 18 post-menopausal women. They drank 1 liter of sodium-rich carbonated water for two months. Results showed better calcium retention and no negative effects.

And this enhancement of calcium retention helps to develop good bone health. So, now you know what makes carbonated water good for you!

6. Good for heart health

This beverage has a good effect on the heart and keeps it healthy. You will find researches showing that it can even keep your cholesterol levels in control. Further, this is good for your heart health.

7. Helps in losing bodyweight

Carbonated water plays a vital in losing body weight. Consuming some amount of this beverage can help in hydration and keep you full. All of which will restrict you from consuming extra calories.

Carbonated water side effects

Consuming anything in excessive amounts can cause harm to your health. Similarly, if you drink this beverage in large quantities, it can leave an ill effect on your health. Let us see what happens if you drink a lot of carbonated water:

1. Obesity

The beverage contains minerals along with sodium. And some available in the market contain added flavors, sugar, and other preservatives as well. Even though these flavored beverages provide a certain amount of energy to the human body, they supply a huge number of calories.

So, if you do not burn the fat appropriately, it leads to obesity. Further, obesity may cause heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure, and many more illnesses.

2. Increases carbon dioxide in the body

You already know that carbon dioxide gas and water makes this beverage. The human body takes in oxygen and releases carbon dioxide as a byproduct.

Drinking a massive amount of sparkling water daily may increase the amount of carbon dioxide in your blood. All of which may result in breathing troubles, heart attack, and many more chronic heart problems.

3. May cause irritable bowel syndrome

People having stomach problems must not consume sparkling water.   It has the tendency to create gas or bloating inside the human body. And having this gas and bloating for a long time may lead to irritable bowel syndrome(IBS).

Irritable bowel syndrome is a widespread disorder in the large intestines. It shows up through symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, cramping, etc.

4. May cause teeth Decay

In an experiment, a man’s broken teeth kept in a glass of carbonated water for a day. After 24 hours, the results showed that the teeth decayed up to 30%. So, it is evident that drinking large amounts of carbonated water can affect your teeth.

Although carbonated acid is weak, it does have a link with tooth decay. This is because carbonic acid comes in contact with the surface of teeth forming calcium compounds, which ultimately dissolves them.

5. May cause riboflavin deficiency

People use riboflavin or vitamin B₂ compounds as a dietary supplement. And for cellular respiration, your body requires riboflavin. Drinking an excessive amount of sparkling water may resist someone’s nutrient intake, including riboflavin.

Riboflavin deficiency may hamper the nervous system and affect protein consumption as well. People who consume sparkling water instead of food to avoid extra calories have protein and riboflavin deficiency problems.

6. Affects bone density

The reports found that people, especially women drinking excess amounts of carbonated water, have low bone density. Women who drink sparkling water at least three times a day have weaker hipbones than females who do not.

These theories came up from experiments that the concerned persons have conducted. However, it does not imply that every person having carbonated water will face such a problem.

Sparkling water calories

Now that you know what makes carbonated water good for you, let us check out its calorie content!

Sparkling water generally does not possess or provide any calories. Different types of club soda vs sparkling water are available in the market. As sparkling water is in use as a beverage, the companies producing it have strategies to sell the product.

As a result of which different flavors present with sugar and other preservatives. It enhances the taste and attracts more people to buy the product.

These additives, along with sugar, provide calories. Flavored sparkling water is in use as a beverage, and people generally have it after having food. Food along with this heavy calorie drink produces extra energy, which you need to burn correctly. If you do not work on it, these excess calories transform into fat. All of which leads to obesity.

Why is unflavored carbonated water better?

People should always need to measure the amount of calories intake and calories burnt to keep good health. Drinking too much flavored sparkling water is not good as it provides calories that you generally do not burn.

So, it is best to choose unflavored sparkling water to be on the safer side. However, if you consume this beverage regularly, it is best to take your doctor’s advice.

Drinking unflavored carbonated water can be an alternative to normal water, as it provides zero calories. You can consume it as the same amount as normal water.

However, homemade flavors are better than the flavors available in the market as they use chemicals to make them. So, you can use homemade juices to add a flavor to your sparkling water.

Some of the options you can choose are grapes, apples, watermelons, mango, and pomegranate. All these flavors are tasty and also provides you with a considerable amount of nutrients. So, choose these ones if you like a tinch of flavor in your sparkling water.

Sparkling water vs soda water

Sparkling water is the only form of carbonated water that you can obtain naturally. Soda water like cold drinks and other soft drinks available in the market is made artificially by different companies.

Disodium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, potassium sulfate are minerals generally present in soda water. You will find all these minerals put into it by artificial means.

However, the amount of minerals present in soda water varies from one manufacturer to another. These minerals enhance the taste of soda water, and people love it as a beverage. Europe sells naturally formed carbonated waters in the market. Moreover, the countries even trade these naturally formed carbonated water.

Sparkling water

How is club soda produced?

Club soda is unflavored soda water that is available in Asian countries. Although it is without flavor, manufacturers add minerals artificially into it. Generally, people use club soda to make cocktails and have it as an addition along with spirits. When you’re considering club soda vs sparkling water for a refreshing mixer, this is a completely personal preference due to the contrasting tastes.

Seltzer is a type of carbonated water that is a substitute for club soda. However, seltzer is naturally formed carbonated water which originated from Germany.

What is naturally carbonated water?

Different springs where bubbles come out through natural carbonation helps produce naturally carbonated water. According to the reports, around 250 parts per million dissolved minerals and trace elements are present in carbonated spring water.

But this number continuously varies according to the source of water. You will find the taste to also vary according to their mineral content.  Few manufacturers infuse more carbon dioxide into the naturally formed carbonated water to make it bubblier.

Why is tonic water different from other soda waters?

Tonic water is another form of soda water that you can use as a substitute for club soda. However, it does have a bitter taste to it.

Quinine is a compound that you can get from the bark of cinchona trees. People all over the world use this as a medicine to cure malaria. So, tonic water contains quinine, and that is why it is bitter. In Asian countries, people use tonic water to prevent malaria.

However, nowadays, manufacturers use flavors and many more things to enhance the flavor and increase its market value.

So, you can conclude that both sparkling and soda water contain minerals either naturally or artificially. However, the nutrient content of both the waters is low. And it will contain low or zero calories unless you buy the ones that have the present in its flavors.

Final Thoughts

By now you know what makes carbonated water good for you. However, there are specific side effects of it if you consume it in large amounts.

So, keep the consumption moderate, and you are sure to benefit from it. Also, if you have any preexisting problems or are on medications, consult your doctor before consuming any carbonated water!

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here