[Creative Cultivation Program] What are the sparkling water, soda water and soda water that are essential in summer?

Author: Niu Mingmin

Reviewer: Han Hongwei

Speaking of summer, in addition to iced watermelon and 26-degree air conditioning, there must be all kinds of soda. Recently, "healthy 0 sugar" has become the trend of the times, sweeping the entire food industry, and summer drinks are naturally indispensable. It seems that in an instant, we found that whether on the shelves of convenience stores or in short video advertisements, more and more novel drinks have appeared, such as sparkling water, soda water, Perrier, etc. They have different names, brands, and prices, but they all claim to give you "both health and taste." Are these new beverages just commercial gimmicks, or are they really big names? What kind of water are the popular sparkling water, soda water, and soda water?

Soda (carbonated drinks) = water + carbon dioxide + sweeteners/flavors, etc.

On a hot summer day, when you take a can of cola or soda out of the refrigerator, the moment you hear the "sizzle" sound, you will feel the cool and stimulating taste you expect. Just one sip will make you feel refreshed and comfortable. After all, the drinks that make us "high" are mainly due to the "gas" contained in them, and this "gas" refers to carbon dioxide.

When talking about carbon dioxide, most people think of negative information such as "greenhouse effect" and "global warming", but it is an absolute good thing in beverages. Carbon dioxide has a cooling effect. The decomposition of carbonic acid produces an endothermic reaction. When carbon dioxide is discharged from the body, it can take away the body's heat and make people feel cool. At the same time, carbon dioxide can also hinder the growth of microorganisms and extend the shelf life of soda. Of course, the most important thing is that it can bring people a pleasant taste, which is why it often ranks among the top beverage sales.

Carbon dioxide is usually added to beverages under high pressure. Ultra-high pressure increases the solubility of carbon dioxide in water. Carbon dioxide reacts with water to produce carbonic acid, forming carbonated water. If sweeteners, flavors and other food additives are added to it, it becomes the carbonated beverage we are familiar with, also known as "soda".

Soda has two characteristics: one is that the packaging must be processed with high pressure; the other is that it tastes better after being refrigerated. This is because high pressure and low temperature can increase the solubility of carbon dioxide, which is why soda tastes better after being chilled.

Soda water = water + sodium bicarbonate

Soda water, as the name implies, is water with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) added to it. Unlike artificial high-pressure injection of carbon dioxide, water and soda will generate carbon dioxide by themselves after reacting, but carbon dioxide cannot be maintained at room temperature and pressure. After the bubbles are released, it becomes the soda water we commonly see, which tastes slightly sweet and has no "gas" taste.

But it should be noted that healthy soda water is pure sodium bicarbonate water without gas and additives. In order to pursue the taste, some businesses need to keep the soda water with "gas" to stimulate the taste buds. The common method is to inject carbon dioxide into the soda water under high pressure like carbonated drinks. This is soda water, which is different from pure soda water.

Sparkling water = water + carbon dioxide

Sparkling water has always existed, but in recent years, businesses have begun to hype this concept and vigorously market it. Simply put, sparkling water is water with bubbles (carbon dioxide), which can be understood as carbonated water. But the gas (carbon dioxide) here can come from nature or be artificially aerated.

Natural sparkling water is quite precious. Its "bubbles" come from nature, which are formed naturally by the ice cubes in the permafrost under external pressure. The ice layer brings high pressure during the pressure, and at the same time has low temperature, which is the best condition for the production and maintenance of carbon dioxide. At the same time, natural water is also rich in minerals, including potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and other elements that are beneficial to the human body, so natural sparkling water should be accurately called "carbonated mineral water".

Because it is natural, it is expensive. For example, the famous natural carbonated mineral water brand Perrier is also known as the champagne of water. But following the principle of "all luxury goods have affordable alternatives", water is no exception. The cheaper ones we see in convenience stores are not natural carbonated water, but artificial carbonated water that is directly added with carbon dioxide under high pressure in ordinary pure water.

Sparkling water can maintain the taste of carbonated drinks, aid digestion, and has no additives, so it is very popular among consumers. However, whether a water is healthy or not cannot be judged by its name, but by its ingredients. Although soda water and sparkling water are good, many beverages with these names actually have a lot of additives. Of course, at a time when "0 sugar and 0 calories" has become the password for traffic, more beverage manufacturers claim that they use sugar substitutes instead of sucrose, but whether sugar substitutes are sugar or not and whether they have an extra burden on the body is another matter.

In summary, soda water is carbonated water + food additives, soda water is sodium bicarbonate water, and sparkling water is carbonated water. So how should we choose summer life-saving drinks? Anything that tastes good naturally has additives, and anything without additives is naturally expensive, so quality, taste, health, and economy cannot be achieved at the same time.

Summer is incomplete without soda. Although we know it may not be healthy (at least not as "healthy" as advertised), who can resist the temptation of summer happy water? When the bubbles roll in your body until the moment of "burping", you will fall in love with summer.

References

The erosive potential of flavored sparkling water drinks. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2007; 17: 86–91

[2] Hu Yulu, Yang Peijie, Bai Xinggang. The first discovery of natural soda water in Shandong Province and its geological characteristics [J]. Shandong Land and Resources, 2013 29(1): 1-3

[3] Chinese Nutrition Society, Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents 2016

[4] Tian Dayong, Cui Zhongyuan, Kong Qingxuan, Wang Di. A brief analysis of the formation conditions of natural soda water in Baoquan Town, Kedong County, Heilongjiang Province [J]. Geology and Resources, 1671-1947 (2008) 03-0219-03

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