In the last decade, the discredit of soft drinks and sugary drinks for their negative effects on health, beyond the fact that they promote obesity, has generated a change in consumer demand. Now we are looking for waters with new flavors and products with nutritional quality and greater benefits for health, without giving up the fact that they are appetizing.
And among the different options is sparkling water. But is it worth going to the bubbles? This alternative has, of course, its advantages: it maintains the effervescence, it is more refreshing – which helps to quench thirst – and it does not provide sugar or calories.
In some European countries it is drunk regularly. And although in other places, such as Spain, its consumption has grown in recent years, it is still residual: it accounts for 3.0% of the bottled water market, which translates into 1.91 liters per person per year.
The bubbly modalities are nothing more than water with dissolved carbonic acid, responsible for the slight bitter taste and effervescence. And as with natural water, there are different types: carbonated, calcium, sulphated, magnesium, sodium or chloride.
Among the distinctive features, it should be noted that its mineral concentration seems to be higher than normal, it has a higher osmolarity (total concentration of substances dissolved in a liquid) and a basic pH (higher than that of pure water, which is neutral). This mineral content varies according to the commercial brand or the geographical area where it is obtained.
But does all this influence its ability to hydrate? Although it hasn't been researched enough, it seems to do just as well as bottled or tap still water. Or even better, thanks precisely to its abundance of minerals.
In 2009, the World Health Organization highlighted the importance of the composition of the water we drink and stressed the need to promote the consumption of highly mineralized products, since it helps to meet the nutritional needs of these ingredients. Sparkling water would more than meet the WHO recommendation.
Although knowledge of the beneficial properties of certain waters dates back to Hippocrates (460 BC-370 BC), it was not until the 20th century that the first epidemiological data appeared linking its consumption to (good) health.
These positive effects seem to be related to the amount of minerals they incorporate, and although more studies are needed, it seems that the bubbly options would have advantages, with some nuances:
1. Digestive or gastrointestinal function. Several works suggest that sparkling water improves swallowing in healthy subjects –even in patients with dysphagia– and relieves dyspepsia (upset stomach). In addition, it would help reduce constipation and produce a feeling of satiety, virtues that could favor the reduction of body weight.
But there is also evidence to the contrary. In vitro studies and in healthy young people have observed that drinking sparkling water increases levels of ghrelin (the hormone responsible for increasing appetite) and, therefore, food intake. It could also favor abdominal distension and gastric discomfort, possibly due to the action of carbonic acid. In short: more research is needed.
2. Urinary function and prevention of kidney stones. An Australian study indicates that daily consumption of sparkling water can prevent the formation of kidney stones. The bicarbonate content and the increased alkaline load and urinary pH would prevent calcium oxalate aggregations. In the long term, waters rich in calcium, magnesium and bicarbonate would have advantages in this regard. Therefore, carefully read the bottle labels.
On the negative side, other work indicates that the intake of carbonated drinks (including the protagonist of this article) increases the risk of stress incontinence or overactive bladder in women over 40 years of age.
3. Decreased cardiovascular risk. Science supports the importance of proper hydration to maintain metabolic health, reduce cardiovascular risk and metabolic syndrome, and prevent hypertension. Specifically, different studies indicate that mineral-rich waters –including those that incorporate carbonic acid– are beneficial for regulating blood pressure. This is due to the alkaline effect and the contribution of magnesium or calcium, which improve the mechanisms of vasoconstriction and heart rate.
At the same time, some research has found that drinking a liter of sparkling water a day seems to reduce markers of cardiometabolic risk (cholesterol and glucose). However, there are no changes in triglyceride levels, weight and body mass index.
4. Bone and dental health. According to the evidence, ingesting a liter of this type of drink daily does not affect bone remodeling in postmenopausal women. On the other hand, sparkling water seems to be able to deteriorate the support of the dentition at an early age, since it is not fluoridated. However, it must be borne in mind that the dental erosion potential of sparkling or still water is one hundred times less than that of soft drinks.
Given all of the above, more research is needed to fully understand the health effects of sparkling water, depending on mineral composition and geographic or brand origin. Even so, we can consider it as a healthier alternative to water with low mineralization. And, of course, sugary drinks or soft drinks.
This article was originally published on The Conversation.
