Is drinking carbonated water the same as drinking water

If you take a look at the cans on your co-workers’ desks, you may notice there are less sodas and more seltzers. A 2017 NPR story reported that Americans are chugging 170 million gallons of seltzer a year, and sales were up 42% in a five-year span. While seltzer is not a new drink (Perrier launched in the United States in 1971), it’s been gaining popularity in recent years as an alternative to diet soda and other calorie-laden drinks. And the flavors are enticing — everything from tropical coconut to crisp grapefruit and juicy pear.

Table of Contents Show

Benefits of drinking sparkling water
1. Helps you hydrate
2. Makes you feel full
3. May relieve constipation
4. Eases the transition from sugary drinks
The side effects of sparkling water
Stomach issues
Teeth troubles
Keep your sparkling water simple
Is carbonated water the same as water?
Is it OK to drink sparkling water everyday?

But at its most basic, plain old seltzer is just your standard H2O with CO2.

“Seltzer water is plain water that has carbon dioxide added under pressure to create that bubbly effect that many people love,” says Cordialis Msora-Kasago, MA. RDN, and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

And while it’s got more going on texture- and flavor-wise than plain old water, it’s equally as hydrating.

“Science shows seltzer water is just as hydrating as regular tap water,” says Jessica Crandall Snyder, RDN, registered dietitian nutritionist at Vital RD in Denver. “It doesn’t dehydrate you. From a mouth-feel standpoint, it may not seem as hydrating. But from a nutrition standpoint, they are equal.”

So if you’re obsessed with seltzer, there’s good news: it counts towards your daily water intake totals.

The Institute of Medicine’s dietary recommendations for water intake are:

Men: At least 101 ounces of water per day (slightly under 13 cups)

Women: At least 74 ounces (a little over 9 cups)

However, there really is no clear-cut designation for how much water each person should drink because many factors play into it.

“When looking at hydration, you have to consider how active a person is, the climate they live in, how much they exercise,” says Crandall Snyder. “But I tell my clients a really good goal to shoot for is ounces of half your body weight.” (So for example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you should aim for at least 75 ounces of water per day.)

Of course, seltzer can have some downsides.

“People who experience gas, bloating and other signs of stomach discomfort after a seltzer water should limit the amount they drink,” says Msora-Kasago.

But plain, carbonated water has not been shown to have any major adverse effects on health.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that carbonated waters do not impact density or bone health.

Besides a distended belly, the only other downside to seltzer is that it is slightly acidic compared to tap water, thanks to the CO2 that turns into carbonic acid. According to the American Dental Association, dental erosion happens in an acidic environment “in the pH range of 2.0 to 4.0, although surface enamel starts to demineralize as the pH drops to less than 5.5." Perrier has a pH level of 5.25, while water has a pH between 6.5 and 8.5.

However, in one study that compared the erosion of sparkling water to tap water, it found that “sparkling mineral waters showed slightly greater dissolution than still waters, but levels remained low and were of the order of one hundred times less than the comparator soft drinks.”

So drinking seltzer is still no where near soda. However, if you’re drinking carbonated waters with additives, those could have negative impacts.

“Sweetened and flavored carbonated water may contain ingredients such as acids, sugar and sodium which may negatively affect a person's health,” says Msora-Kasago. “For example, beverages with sweeteners may contain calories and when consumed in large amounts contribute towards weigh gain. Similarly, when consumed in large amounts, beverages that contain acids may erode tooth enamel increasing the risk of tooth decay.”

But the bottom line on plain seltzer: It’s just as hydrating as water, and if you’re sticking to seltzer without added sugar, acid or sodium, you shouldn’t expect any negative health issues (besides bloating and gas).

“The good news for seltzer lovers is that each glass counts towards your daily fluid intake, so go ahead and include it on a regular basis,” says Msora-Kasago. “The amount of seltzer that one takes a day is really dependent upon how much one can tolerate.”

Time to pop out the bubbly — water, that is! Sparkling water has become a popular alternative to soda, giving fun, fruity twists to your everyday hydration habits. But is it healthy?

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Registered dietitian Lauren Sullivan, RD, weighs in on the health benefits of sparkling water, including which kinds are best and worst for you.

So you’ve swapped soda for seltzer, and now you’re concerned that you’ve simply traded one bad habit for another. Good news: As long as you’re drinking sparkling water with no added sugars, you’ve made an A+ choice.

In many cases, sparkling water is just water — which is, of course, vital to your health. That said, there are a few different kinds of sparkling water, and they’re not all created equally.

Seltzer is artificially carbonated water, plain and simple, though some kinds include natural fruit flavors and/or sugar. (A note: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration technically differentiates between seltzer and sparkling water based on their carbonation processes. For consumer purposes, though, they’re the same.)
Mineral water, which is sourced from a spring or well, is naturally carbonated water that includes minerals like magnesium and calcium.
Club soda is artificially carbonated and enhanced with added minerals like sodium bicarbonate and potassium sulfate.
Tonic water is also artificially carbonated and enhanced with added minerals, including quinine, which provides that signature bitter taste. It also includes sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.

Feel free to crack open sugar-free seltzers and mineral waters to your heart’s delight — but limit tonic water. Not only does it include added sugars, but too much quinine can also cause an upset stomach, headaches, ringing in the ears, as well as other medically serious unpleasant side effects, like organ damage, severe bleeding and changes to your heart rhythm.

Benefits of drinking sparkling water

OK, so you know carbonated water is better for you than sugary soda, juice and energy drinks. But aside from sugar content, what, exactly, makes the bubbly so much better?

1. Helps you hydrate

There’s one benefit so big it bears repeating: hydration, hydration, hydration. Sparkling water is just as hydrating as its bubble-free counterpart, so if you’re struggling to drink enough water during the day, there’s no harm in swapping a glass or two of still water for the fruity, fizzy stuff. Remember, though — no added sugars!

2. Makes you feel full

“Drinking sparkling water may lead to experiencing a short-term, immediate increase in satiety, or fullness,” Sullivan says. Some studies show that carbonated water keeps you feeling fuller for longer — and may even keep food in your stomach for longer than regular water.

3. May relieve constipation

In one study, people experiencing constipation after a stroke reported significant relief after two weeks of drinking sparkling water. Another study found that sparkling water brought relief to people with indigestion.

4. Eases the transition from sugary drinks

If you’re trying to kick a soda addiction or scale down on daily lattes, sparkling water could be the ticket to tricking your brain out of bad habits. You can even use herbs, fruit or cucumber to enhance the flavor of sparkling water.

“It can be difficult to transition from sweet drinks to water, but flavored seltzers and sparkling water can help,” Sullivan says. “Water, whether plain or carbonated, is better than high-calorie, sugar-infused drinks.”

The side effects of sparkling water

As long as you’re choosing sugar-free, caffeine-free varieties, there aren’t many risks to worry about. “There is very little specific research showing that sparkling water has a negative impact on health,” Sullivan says. But there are a few things to watch out for.

Stomach issues

You might experience temporary but unwanted side effects from sparkling water if you’re prone to tummy troubles:

Burping.
Bloating.
Gas.
Stomach pain.

If you find that your stomach doesn’t tolerate the carbonation well, scale back your sparkling water intake and stick to still water.

Teeth troubles

“Sparkling water may also contain minerals, whether natural or infused during the process of carbonation, that can lead to changes in your tooth enamel,” Sullivan warns. Be on the lookout for anything that includes citric acid, phosphorous or sugar, all of which can contribute to enamel erosion.

Regular seltzer, though, has not been shown to have a significant effect on enamel.

Keep your sparkling water simple

“Sparkling water may contain sugar, artificial sweeteners, caffeine and other additives,” Sullivan emphasizes, “but the best kind is the simple, straightforward kind, just water and carbonation.”

Sugar is associated with heart disease, diabetes, obesity and other chronic conditions; artificial sweeteners can cause stomach issues. And although caffeine is typically safe for healthy adults in limited amounts, there’s no safe level of caffeine intake for kids.

In other words, your sparkling water only qualifies as water if it’s not filled with other stuff. As long as you stick to the basics, feel free to drink your fill of the fizz.

Is carbonated water the same as water?

Carbonated water is just like regular water; only it offers a fun and more exciting way to drink your daily allotment of water. Fruit flavored sparkling (carbonated) water also makes a great and healthy alternative to soda because it has zero calories and no added sugar.

Is it OK to drink sparkling water everyday?

No evidence suggests that carbonated or sparkling water is bad for you. It's not that harmful to dental health, and it seems to have no effect on bone health. Interestingly, a carbonated drink may even enhance digestion by improving swallowing ability and reducing constipation.