Is it really harmful to drink carbonated water?

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The debate over the possible benefits (or harms) of carbonated water has been raging for years among consumers and nutritionists alike. Some are convinced that the presence of air bubbles helps the body absorb water faster, which reduces the risk of dehydration, while others believe that carbon dioxide is harmful to health and that carbonated water should be abandoned once and for all. We will not take sides and will simply talk about the objective pros and cons of the drink.

Carbonated water can be regular or mineral (not to mention sweet carbonated drinks – the amount of added sugar and flavorings makes them drinks from the “black list”). The first is absolutely ordinary purified water, saturated with carbon dioxide. No study has confirmed that air bubbles can cause any harm to the body, because carbon dioxide is naturally present in our body and does not pose a health risk. Here, the question is more likely whether you like carbonated water. The only contraindications are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, as the bubbles can irritate the mucous membranes of your digestive organs, thereby aggravating the situation. In addition, an excess of gas bubbles can lead to bloating and stomach pain.

Even more ambiguous is the issue of mineral water. On the one hand, it contains many useful minerals that help restore and maintain muscle function, strengthen the nervous system, improve metabolism, and some of them are able to normalize the acid-base balance in the body. It sounds just great, but the problem is that having your own well from which natural mineral water will come is somewhat problematic. We usually buy mineral water in bottles in the supermarket and cannot be completely sure that such a long and attractive list of minerals that can be found on the label is really contained there. We cannot be completely sure of its composition at all.

In a word, you can drink carbonated water, but you need to do this very carefully. Therefore, if you do not want to spend hours studying the composition of mineral water or constantly monitor whether discomfort has appeared in the intestines from an extra glass of soda, pure water will be the best solution. And don't forget that whatever water you ultimately prefer, you should drink it regularly and at least one and a half liters per day.