Fizzy water is said to attack your teeth, irritate your stomach and weaken your bones. What of that is true, what studies say and who really is better off drinking still.
In short
- Carbonic acid is a weak acid, pH about 5, far milder than cola or orange juice.
- Plain sparkling water is harmless for your teeth; flavoured water with citric acid is not.
- Bones: in studies cola was linked to bone density, sparkling water was not.
- With reflux, an irritable stomach and bloating, still water can be more comfortable.
What carbonic acid is
Carbonic acid forms when CO2 dissolves in water. A tiny part reacts to H2CO3, the rest stays dissolved gas. The pH of sparkling water is about 5 to 5.5, so slightly acidic, similar to black coffee. For comparison: cola has pH 2.5, orange juice 3.5, lemon juice 2. The tingle on the tongue, by the way, is not bubbles bursting but a slight acid signal from the nerves.
Teeth
Tooth enamel starts to dissolve at about pH 5.5. Plain sparkling water sits at that limit, but it contains calcium and bicarbonate, which buffer it. In laboratory tests with teeth in sparkling water the effect was minimal, a hundred times smaller than with soft drinks. It is different with “flavoured water”: the citric acid it contains lowers the pH to 3 to 4, which measurably attacks the enamel. Anyone who drinks a lot of it should use a straw and not brush their teeth straight afterwards.
Stomach and digestion
The gas stretches the stomach. For most people that is pleasant and even boosts the feeling of fullness, which can help with weight loss. If you are prone to heartburn, reflux or bloating, you feel the opposite: the stretched stomach pushes acid upwards. For these people still or lightly sparkling water is the better choice, at least in the evening. The myth that sparkling water “over-acidifies” the body has been disproved: the stomach is a hundred times more acidic anyway.
Bones
In a well-known study, women who drank a lot of cola had lower bone density. Sparkling water showed no effect. The explanation lies in the phosphoric acid in cola and in the fact that cola drinkers drink less milk, not in the CO2. Mineral water rich in calcium even gives your bones a little something.
Who is better off drinking still
- People with reflux, an irritable stomach, irritable bowel or frequent belching.
- Babies and small children who do not like the tingle.
- Before sport, because a stretched stomach is a nuisance when running.
- With hoarseness and a sore throat, because the gas irritates the mucous membrane.
Home-carbonated or from the bottle
No difference. The CO2 in a soda maker is the same food-grade CO2 as in the bottle. Only the minerals differ: soda makers use your tap water, while the label of a mineral water reveals its values, see Reading the label.
Frequently asked questions
Does sparkling water make you put on weight?
No, it has zero calories. Through the stretching of the stomach it can even dampen the appetite. Soft drinks are different, that is sugar.
Is sparkling water worse than still in hot weather?
No, the fluid counts the same. Some people drink less overall when it is sparkling, because it fills them up faster. In that case go for still or alternate.
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