Sparkling Water Facts: Is This Bubbly Water Better Than Tap Water?

Sparkling water is now a favorite alternative that people are choosing over regular water from the tap.

However, have you ever wondered if drinking sparkling water actually offers some benefits, or is it another marketing gimmick that's drilling your pockets? Read on to discover the truth!

Sparkling water is also popularly referred to as carbonated water or bubbly water. It feels refreshing to sip a glass of sparkling water with the bubbles hitting your lips and nose. Carbonated water has been there for decades. However, it is only recently that it has become popular. Almost every restaurant and food kiosk in the United States now offers sparkling water as a part of their beverage offering. Cold sparkling water tastes the best!

The fact that carbonated water has zero calories and no added sugar makes it definitely healthier than sugary soft drinks and any other flavored drinking soda. This refreshing beverage has a lot of added nutrients too. This article will give you specific information about carbonated beverages and why they are a healthy choice.

Once you have finished reading this article, you must also discover spring water facts and bottled water facts articles here at Kidadl.

Sparkling Water Meaning

The name 'sparkling water' is absolutely apt for this lovely drink. Sparkling water is created by dissolving carbon dioxide gas under the water and quickly bottling it up under pressure. As a result, when you open and pour sparkling water into a glass, it gets effervescent and has a sparkling or bubbling texture.

People also call it the 'fizz'. Drinking fizzy drinks is fun because they are not as plain as regular water and they are crisp and have a bite to them. Many confuse this with water club soda, but in water club soda, along with carbon dioxide, various minerals are added.

Now, plain carbonated water is just regular water with diffused CO2. There are flavored carbonated waters available these days too. Some brands go as far as to add natural flavors to these waters to make them even healthier.

Composition Of Sparkling Water

Carbonated waters have two basic ingredients: carbon dioxide (CO2) and plain water. Both these ingredients combine together to produce something called carbonic acid. This is a very weak acid that gives a slight tart or burning taste when consumed. This is a taste that people have started enjoying.

You need to know that this fizzy water is slightly acidic and that is because of the addition of CO2. It has a pH level of about three to four. Regular water from the tap has a pH level of between 6.5 and 8.5. That is why you may burp more after drinking carbonated drinks.

The slightly acidic content of carbonated water has certain health benefits that you should know about.

Heart Health: The small amounts of good minerals in carbonated water may help protect heart health. When you choose regular soda over sugar-laden soft drinks, it is even better for your heart and you can stay away from heart disease of all kinds.

Blood Sugar Levels: An average 12 oz (340.1 g) bottle of sugary soda has about 1.3 oz (39 g) of sugar. You can avoid this by choosing zero-calorie carbonated water.

Prevent Weight Gain: By keeping away from drinks with excessive added sugar, you can prevent unwanted weight gain too.

Lose Weight: You may be surprised to learn that by staying hydrated, you can lose weight too. People confuse dehydration and hunger and end up eating every time their body demands fluids. Sipping on carbonated water will therefore help.

Prevents Dehydration: Some people don't drink enough water because they don't like the taste of plain drinking water. Such individuals can choose naturally carbonated water to hydrate themselves.

There are definitely a lot of benefits to choosing carbonated water. However, are there any health conditions that carbonated water can cause? People are slightly worried about the effects of carbonated water on their teeth, especially the enamel.

There are claims that drinking sparkling water can erode tooth enamel. While carbonated water may be slightly more damaging to the tooth enamel than flat water (regular water), the damage seems to be minimal when compared to the ill effects of sugar-filled soda water and drinks. Sugar in drinks is the major culprit, causing tooth decay, tooth enamel, and general tooth damage.

Another problem that people worry about is low mineral density. Is your bone health affected by drinking sparkling water? Studies show that if your drink does not contain an excess of phosphorus, then you don't have to worry about low bone density. Carbonated beverages, especially the plain and natural-flavored ones, don't have phosphorus added to them and don't damage your bone health.

Difference Between Sparkling Water And Bottled Water

Bottled water is usually plain or regular water that is sourced from a natural location and minimally processed and bottled. Sparkling water is such water that has been combined with dissolved CO2 to make it sparkly. There can be four types of sparkling water based on how it is sourced and processed. Mineral water can also be made into sparkling water by infusing CO2 into it.

Seltzer: Seltzer water is simple, sparkling water with water and CO2. Seltzer water is often added with natural flavors and artificial flavoring agents.

Club Soda: Club soda is plain and unflavored carbonated water that has had minerals added to it to give it a stronger and more fizzy taste. Club soda is a popular combination of alcoholic beverages.

Tonic Water: Tonic water is carbonated water that is usually sweetened with artificial sweeteners or fructose syrup. Tonic water is also great with alcoholic beverages. Gin and tonic or rum and tonic are classic combinations.

Carbonated Mineral Water: Mineral water is sourced from natural springs that have had natural minerals added to them. This water is infused with CO2 and converted into carbonated water. This is slightly better because of the natural minerals present in it.

Minerals And Nutritional Facts of Sparkling Water

Sparkling water may have the same or slightly better nutritional composition than normal water, depending on where it is sourced from. You can check the nutrition label of these carbonated waters to know the nutrients present.

Depending on what nutrients the source water contains, these sparkling waters may have very small amounts of sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, potassium bicarbonate, disodium phosphate, and other substances.

When it comes to carbonated mineral water, it may contain essential minerals like calcium, sodium, magnesium, and other healthy minerals. It is to be noted that sparkling mineral water should contain at least 250 parts per million of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) according to the FDA.

Also, sparkling mineral water needs to have these elements naturally, and they shouldn't be added externally in the processing unit.

These days, you can find carbonated water in so many variants. Unfortunately, not all of them are healthy. Just like other drinks, some of these soda water cans may have excess sugar, unsafe artificial sweeteners, or chemical flavors. Make sure you check the label of your carbonated drink before drinking it.

Drinking regular water gets boring after some time. When compared to this, carbonated water is definitely more interesting. You can stay hydrated and your body will thank you for it. When compared to sugar-laden drinks, these waters are a healthier choice without a doubt. The human body does not need all the excess sugar that aerated drinks come with.

Plain or naturally flavored sparkling water is a refreshing drink that you can have at any time without feeling guilty about all the excess calories you are consuming.

Apart from all the above benefits of drinking carbonated water, some studies show that it may help with digestion too. If you have had an especially large meal, then wash it down with some sparkling water to quickly digest it.

Satisfying your thirst a couple of times a day with carbonated water is definitely not going to cause problems. In fact, based on the health effects listed above, your body may benefit from the drink too. However, make sure you also get your dose of regular water throughout the day too, as that's equally important.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for sparkling water facts: is this bubbly water better than tap water, then why not take a look at 15 curious Peterloo massacre facts that reflect the industrial revolution! or 39 impressive aluminum facts that all kids should know.