Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Is Seltzer Water Healthy?
The-Conversation
By The Conversation
Published 5 years ago on
May 10, 2020

Share

My health conscious friends and colleagues tell me that they need an alternative to soda but plain water is too boring. They, like many people, are turning to sparkling water and flavored seltzer water.

Opinion

Rahel Mathews
The Conversation

Carbonated waters are being promoted as the low-calorie or zero-calorie alternative to soda. In a 12-month period from August 2018 to August 2019, sales of sparkling water increased by 13% compared to the previous year.

But is it really a healthy alternative?

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I get this question all the time. As with much of nutrition, the answer is not a clear yes or no. Researchers have studied sparkling water, though not extensively, for its effects on teeth, bones and digestion. Is it bad for you? Probably not. Is it good for you? Maybe. Is it better than soda? Definitely.

Seltzer vs. Soda

Seltzer water is simply water infused with pressurized carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide creates the bubbles in fizzy water but also adds acidity to the beverages. Manufacturers also infuse many of these seltzers with the ever mysterious “natural flavors.” These are usually just chemicals extracted from plants or animals that add flavor without using sugar or adding many calories.

Photo of a glass of soda
Soda, specifically cola with its caffeine and phosphoric acid, eats away at teeth and bone. (Jack Andersen/Stone via Getty Images)

Soda, on the other hand, is carbonated water plus a sweetener such as cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Some sodas, in particular colas, also add phosphoric acid or citric acid for flavor and to act as a preservative as well as caffeine.

The most well-studied risk posed by seltzer and soda are their potential effect on teeth and bones.

In 2007, researchers soaked teeth in seltzer water for 30 minutes and found that the seltzer did start to erode the enamel. This isn’t great if you plan on soaking your teeth in seltzer or drink it all day. But researchers compared the erosive effects of seltzer to soda, coffee, energy drinks and diet cola and found seltzer to be the least harmful to teeth.

While plain seltzer is better than more acidic sodas and coffee, in 2018, researchers looked at the potential risks of added artificial flavors in bottled water. They found that different additives produced varying levels of acidity, and like past studies, that acidity did cause some enamel erosion.

The bottom line is that both plain and flavored sparkling water could have effects on your teeth after long exposures. The farther you go from plain water – whether that is with carbonation or flavoring – the worse for your teeth. Experts recommend that you drink bubbly water while eating food and avoid swishing it around your mouth to avoid the effects of acidity on your teeth.

Another general concern people have about seltzer is that it might cause osteoporosis – a condition where bones get less dense and become fragile.

In 2006, a team of researchers investigated this idea in a study that looked at 2,500 people and compared cola drinkers to people who drink other carbonated drinks without caffeine or phosphoric acid. They found that people who regularly drank colas were more likely to have some bone loss compared to those who did not. The scientists thought that the people consuming colas were also less likely to consume foods and drinks which helped build bone. People who drank seltzer or other carbonated beverages aside from cola didn’t have any of the bone density loss.

Photo of seltzer bottles
Many people make carbonated water at home and add their own flavors. (LOOK Photography/UpperCut Images Getty Images Plus via Getty Images)

Unexpected Benefits

More recently, researchers have begun to investigate whether there are any potential health benefits of carbonated water, and there is some early but encouraging evidence.

Two small randomized controlled studies with elderly patients showed that drinking seltzer water relieves constipation and stomach pain better than tap water.

So is fizzy water healthy?

Well, there isn’t much evidence that sparkling water is bad for you. If you are more likely to drink water when it is carbonated, there is not enough evidence to give it up. The acidity might harm your teeth if you drink a lot of it, but if the choice is between sugary, acidic soda and seltzer, choose the seltzer.

About the Author 

Rahel Mathews, Assistant Professor, Nutrition, Mississippi State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

DON'T MISS

North Korean Leader Says Past Diplomacy Only Confirmed US Hostility

DON'T MISS

Democrats Strike Deal to Get More Biden Judges Confirmed Before Congress Adjourns

DON'T MISS

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

DON'T MISS

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

DON'T MISS

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

DON'T MISS

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

DON'T MISS

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

DON'T MISS

Average Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage in the US Rises to Highest Level Since July

DON'T MISS

Cutting in Line? American Airlines’ New Boarding Tech Might Stop You at Now Over 100 Airports

UP NEXT

Massive Ground Beef Recall Affects Restaurants Nationwide, USDA Warns

UP NEXT

Budget-Friendly Hacks for a Friendsgiving Feast to Remember

UP NEXT

Free Sandwiches in Fresno. No Strings Attached, Says Marijuana-Themed Deli.

UP NEXT

From Blue Cheese to Bacon: Peanut Butter Pairings That Will Shock You

UP NEXT

Does Dill Have Magical Powers? What People Once Believed Food Could Do

UP NEXT

Fresno Council Will Vote on $700K Grant to Help Open Food Vendor Kitchen

UP NEXT

Care for a Sweet Treat During Mexico’s Day of the Dead? Have a Bite of ‘Pan de Muerto’

UP NEXT

Is McDonald’s Quarter Pounder Too Big to Fail?

UP NEXT

At Least 75 Sickened as Deadly McDonald’s E. Coli Outbreak Expands

UP NEXT

From Tools to Toilet Bowls: Unusual Ways to Use Ketchup

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

4 hours ago

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

4 hours ago

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

4 hours ago

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

5 hours ago

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

5 hours ago

Average Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage in the US Rises to Highest Level Since July

5 hours ago

Cutting in Line? American Airlines’ New Boarding Tech Might Stop You at Now Over 100 Airports

5 hours ago

MLB Will Test Robot Umpires at 13 Spring Training Ballparks Hosting 19 Teams

6 hours ago

Death Toll in Gaza From Israel-Hamas War Passes 44,000, Palestinian Officials Say

6 hours ago

Jussie Smollett’s Conviction in 2019 Attack on Himself Is Overturned

6 hours ago

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

NEW YORK — Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, was chosen Thursday by Donald Trump to serve as U.S. attorney general hours after...

2 hours ago

2 hours ago

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

3 hours ago

North Korean Leader Says Past Diplomacy Only Confirmed US Hostility

3 hours ago

Democrats Strike Deal to Get More Biden Judges Confirmed Before Congress Adjourns

4 hours ago

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

President Joe Biden with Mary Barra, the chief executive of General Motors, at the Detroit Auto Show, Sept. 14, 2022. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to erase the Biden administration’s tailpipe rules designed to get carmakers to produce electric vehicles, but most U.S. automakers want to keep them. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
4 hours ago

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

4 hours ago

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

5 hours ago

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at First Horizon Coliseum, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Greensboro, NC. (AP/Alex Brandon)
5 hours ago

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend