What happened to those who loved drinking sparkling water?

In recent years, sparkling water has become increasingly popular and has become a daily necessity for many people.

Not only can sparkling water serve as a low-calorie substitute for carbonated drinks in terms of taste, allowing you to drink it without any burden, but it can also serve as a synonym for healthy sugar reduction that is "light, fashionable" and "high-quality" in terms of lifestyle.

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In addition, in recent years, businesses have launched a variety of sparkling waters with rich tastes, making it impossible for people who are not used to the taste of sparkling water to refuse it, and it has directly become the most popular item this summer.

Let’s talk about sparkling water today.

What are the bubbles in sparkling water?

Sparkling water is divided into natural bubbles and artificial bubbles.

The bubbles in naturally produced sparkling water are formed by ice in the permafrost under the compression of external force and contain trace amounts of natural minerals. The water source naturally contains steam. When taking water, the water and bubbles are first separated artificially. After purification, the bubbles bred in the mother's womb are artificially pressed back.

Artificially produced sparkling water is made by pumping carbon dioxide gas into water under high pressure.

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The price of natural sparkling water is much higher than that of artificial sparkling water. However, no matter which type it is, unflavored sparkling water is actually water with carbon dioxide added. It is just because of the bubbles that it enriches its taste and makes you feel better than water. For those who don't like to drink water, you can choose to drink sparkling water to increase your desire to drink water.

Some people feel a "tingling" sensation when drinking sparkling water. This is because sodium is usually added to sparkling water to enhance the flavor of the water.

However, more people like to drink sparkling water because of its "healthy" label.

Many young people choose to give up high-calorie carbonated drinks when losing weight, but they can't give up the taste of the drinks, so they choose sparkling water instead. Not only can they reduce the sense of guilt, but they can also get the taste of happy water, killing two birds with one stone.

But in reality, how many of the health claims related to sparkling water are actually true?

Sparkling water = healthy and happy water?

1

Can sparkling water increase satiety?

A lot of relevant research has been carried out both at home and abroad on this issue.

According to a controlled experiment on 19 healthy young women, the results found that the female subjects who drank sparkling water did increase their sense of fullness.

Another animal experiment in Palestine found that male mice that drank carbonated water had increased levels of ghrelin, which made them more likely to eat more food. A subsequent small human experiment at Aston University in Birmingham, England, also found that people who drank carbonated drinks consumed 120 more calories than those who drank still drinks, and their ghrelin concentration was 50% higher than other groups.

However, the experts and scholars who led these studies also pointed out that the experimental sample size of these studies was too small and the conclusions were for reference only. If these research results need to be supported, large-scale human experiments and further clinical verification are needed to prove them.

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However, a Japanese research experiment pointed out that drinking 250 ml of sparkling water can release 900 ml of gas. Sparkling water can indeed enhance the "feeling of fullness", but not the kind you think.

Sparkling water is rich in carbon dioxide gas, which will produce a feeling of fullness after entering the stomach, and easily send a false "full" signal to the brain. However, this feeling of fullness is very short-lived and unreal, a bit like the feeling of "gas coming back after drinking Coke". Once this "gas" disappears, you will still be hungry.

For those who are on a diet, if they want to deliberately increase their sense of fullness and reduce their intake during meals by drinking sparkling water at mealtimes, it is likely to be counterproductive. When the "gas" of the sparkling water disappears after entering the body, it may stimulate you to eat too much, greatly increasing your risk of overeating.

Instead of drinking sparkling water before or between meals to "trick the brain" into reducing intake, it is better to drink it after meals to prolong the body's feeling of fullness, which may actually work.

2

Can sparkling water improve constipation?

Yes, but there are conditions.

A study of 21 people with chronic digestive problems found that after a 15-day control experiment, those who drank sparkling water had improved constipation. This is because the carbonic acid in sparkling water can stimulate the gastric mucosa and promote gastrointestinal motility, so it can relieve constipation symptoms.

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However, it should also be pointed out that although the "gas" in carbonated water can stimulate intestinal peristalsis and relieve constipation to a certain extent, it can also reduce food intake due to bloating. If there is not enough food residue in the intestine, gas alone can accelerate intestinal peristalsis and cannot complete defecation.

Especially for people who already have weak gastrointestinal function, drinking sparkling water frequently can easily cause gastrointestinal bloating, so it is best to drink less.

Can sparkling water harm your teeth?

Phosphoric acid and citric acid in carbonated drinks do damage the enamel of teeth, but carbonated water contains almost no phosphoric acid. In addition to carbon dioxide gas, carbonated water also contains natural minerals and trace elements such as potassium, sodium, calcium, and magnesium. It can be said to be a mineral-rich mineral water.

Generally speaking, tooth enamel will begin to dissolve in an environment with a pH value below 5.5. The pH value of carbonated water is about 5-6, which is weakly acidic and not low enough to erode tooth enamel. Its corrosive effect on teeth is only 1% of that of carbonated beverages.

As long as citric acid and sugar are not added, the impact of sparkling water on teeth is almost negligible. What can really affect dental health are carbonated drinks such as cola and Sprite that contain sugar, phosphoric acid and citric acid.

If you are really worried, you can drink sparkling water through a straw, or rinse your mouth immediately after drinking sparkling water.

Does sparkling water cause osteoporosis?

In addition, although some studies have shown that drinking carbonated beverages is associated with a decrease in bone mineral density, according to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, among carbonated beverages, only cola is associated with a decrease in bone density (due to the effects of caffeine and phosphoric acid), but carbonated water generally does not contain such substances. Therefore, drinking carbonated water frequently will not cause osteoporosis or bone calcium loss.

References

[1] Tan Shuang. The popularity of sparkling water[J]. Successful Marketing, 2015(05):76-77.

[2] Does drinking sparkling water help you lose weight? The nutritional value is equivalent to that of mineral water! Guangzhou Daily, 2019-8-8

[3] Is sparkling water really harmful to health? BBC, September 25, 2015

[4] Zhang Yahui. Is drinking sparkling water healthier and less harmful to your teeth? The benefits and myths of sparkling water, HELLO Doctor, 2021

[5] Urban young people prefer "sparkling water for health", experts: beware of health traps. Yangtze River Daily, 2022-6-6

[6]Franziska Spritzle.Carbonated (Sparkling) Water: Good or Bad?healthline,February 24, 2023

Planning and production

Author: Zhong Yike, popular science creator

Reviewer: Zhang Na, Associate Researcher, Doctoral Supervisor, Peking University School of Public Health

Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Yang Yaping

Editor: Yang Yaping

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