Fizzy water is a staple in many countries. In London, for example, if you ask for a glass of water at a restaurant, they’ll bring you seltzer water unless you ask for still water. In Mexico, you have seltzer water in a variety of flavors such as cucumber with salt and lemon, which you won’t find here, but is quite tasty actually. In the U.S., more and more people are switching to flavored sparkling water and ditching the soda, but is it the healthier alternative?
Americans spent $2.3 billion last year in seltzer water because it’s refreshing and satisfying without adding inches to their waistline. There are people that drink up to 12 glasses of seltzer of water a day and it’s been making headlines recently some believe that seltzer water leads to damage in your teeth, bloating, and heartburn. The truth is that carbonated water is harmless. In some cases, it does cause heartburn and the bubbles can lead to bloating, but it’s not doing any damage to your teeth or making you gain weight like traditional sodas do.
Those that drink fizzy water all day can relax because it’s perfectly fine and doesn’t have any bad side effects. The amount of sodium in these waters is also harmless, but just to be on the safe side look at the label to see how much sugar or sodium it has.
The good news is that it’s much better than drinking fruit juices and soda because you get the same refreshing effect of the bubbles without the added calories, sugars, or sodium. Plus the bubbles keep you full and prevent you from overeating, which is great if you’re trying to lose weight. Our recommendation is that if you’re not into these fizzy waters, you keep drinking regular water which at the end of the day is the best option to stay hydrated.