Is Carbonated Water Bad for You?

There are many schools of thought when it comes to drinking soda water. Is it harmful to the enamel on your teeth? Can leech calcium from your bones, leading to osteoporosis? Will it irritate your throat and stomach? Well, we did a little research and found out some answers. Here's the truth:

Does Carbonated Water Leech Calcium from Your Bones?

Soda consumption has been linked to lower bone mineral density - cola in particular. It’s pretty evident, however, that it has nothing to do with the carbonation itself.  Researchers had one group of women drink one liter of still water every day while another group drank a liter of plain carbonated water. After eight weeks, the researchers could detect no difference between the groups when it came to markers for bone turnover.

In fact, the most recent research suggests that the reason people who drink a lot of cola have weaker bones is not because something in the soda is robbing calcium from their bones, but because they tend to have lower calcium intake.

Can Carbonated Water Harm the Enamel on Your Teeth?

When carbon dioxide is dissolved in water, small amounts of carbonic acid are formed, making the water slightly more acidic. However, when researchers soaked human teeth in various still and sparkling waters, they found that neither were harmful to the teeth. Most water - including tap water - contains small amounts of calcium and other minerals, which buffer the effects of the carbonic acid and protect the tooth enamel.

Word of caution! This is not true of flavored soda water! The flavoring agents make the soda water significantly more acidic and these flavored seltzers could contribute to dental erosion.  Soft drinks such as Coke and Pepsi are also quite acidic and will slowly erode tooth enamel. Just try placing your son or daughter's baby teeth in a cup of cola and watch them disappear within days! 

Drinking plain club soda, seltzer, or mineral water however, does not damage tooth enamel.

Does Carbonated Water Cause Irritation to Your Throat and/or Stomach?

It is true that drinking carbonated water may cause an individual to burp. This isn't a bad thing, however, as burping can relieve symptoms of indigestion and relieve the pressure in the stomach. 

If you have trouble with acid reflux, however, beverages or foods that cause you to burp can cause your symptoms to be worse. This includes avoiding seltzer or mineral water. 

Carbonated water in of itself will not hurt your stomach. Many people actually find carbonation to be helpful to settle an upset stomach and their is evidence to support their claims as well. Researchers took a couple dozen people with chronic indigestion and divided them into two groups. One group drank a liter and a half of still water every day and the other group drank a liter and a half of carbonated water. After two weeks, almost all of the people who were drinking carbonated water reported less indigestion, and many also reported relief from constipation. The other group saw little to no improvement.

Are there Benefits to Drinking Carbonated Water?

Drinking carbonated water offers the same benefits as drinking plain water. Doing so keeps you hydrated, prevents constipation, and can even contribute to better control over your appetite, helping you to naturally watch your portions. Depending upon the source of water, it may contain minerals that help strengthen your bones and teeth. To sum up, although soda and other carbonated beverages have been associated with negative effects, carbonation is not harmful in and of itself.