Carbonated Beverages

[Stuck_At_Work]

For the last several years I've been known to down 60 - 100 oz of diet coke a day. Now, I'm trying to quit. I've been trying to drink water whenever I have that craving for a nice cold soda, but I've found that I really enjoy sparking water.

My question - is there anything unhealthy about sparkling water? The label claims it is pretty void of anything beyond H2O and carbonation. What exactly is in 'carbonation'?

 

[alden]

It's CO2.
Unless you're super worried about carbon emissions (<-joke), I can't see anything wrong with it.

 

[BadgerinATX]

What alden said.

The seal on the can/bottle maintains a certain pressure that keeps the CO2 in the liquid. Once the can/bottle is opened, the pressure drops and the CO2 is free to escape from the liquid. Flat soda is soda where the CO2 was allowed to escape.

I don't know if there are any adverse affects when compared to pure water. Obviously some people w/ sensitive stomachs or esophagi (plural of esophagus) might have problems, but if it doesn't bother you, go for it. If you're seriously interested in it, don't listen to this engineer. Look around the web or ask a dietitian.

 

[Longhorn_Fan68]

once i stopped drinking sodas, i stopped getting heartburn. honest injun.

 

[_e.]

The disslolved CO2 forms carbonic acid - but it is pretty weak and you won't live long enough for that to mess up your teeth.

 

[tallgrant]

It's tough getting off of soda (especially the first few days) but you'll feel an awful lot better once you're away from it. Keep other healthy drinks handy like milk or orange juice. Water is fantastic stuff, but having something different to drink helps ward off the temptation to go back to soda when you've had nothing but water for a few days.

You'll feel a lot better in a couple days!

 

[CaboWabo]

I like my Diet Dr. Peppers, but I have found that the Lipton Diet Green Tea with Citrus is a satisfying replacement every now and then.

 

[EuroHorn]

I really like san pellegrino. It seems to be pretty light on the CO2

 

[l00p]

The HEB Lime flavored sparkling water in a can is fantastic and only 2.99 a twelve pack. But don't try to buy it at the Hancock location. SOLD OUT is the norm there almost any time of the day. When students are not in class it is not a problem.

They are a buck cheaper than LaCroix and I like the effervescence of the HEB brand better. The Lemon is good too but I prefer the Lime for some reason.

I will also get some Crystal Light (random flavors) and mix that with a can of the bubbled water. It is refreshing. Put the Crystal Light in a blender with some Lemon Sorbet and strawberries, blend and then add the sparkling water. Mmm.

 

[Stuck_At_Work]

In reply to:

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[Luke Duke]

What's wrong with tap water?

 

[Stuck_At_Work]

Luke,
I drink plenty of tap water... but sometimes I crave something carbonated.

 

[johnny chimpo]

I love Topo Chico. For some reason they are what I crave when hungover. Well, that and Church's Chicken.

 

[Luke Duke]

Drink beer

 

[BA93]

Mexican cokes or Dublin Dr Pepper. go with the real sugar

 

[TXHookem]

I drink pretty much only water (other than occasional alcoholic drink) but if I want to mix it up, I get one of those Crystal Light to go packs. Good stuff.

 

[Friday]

Coffee with breakfast
Water with lunch
Beer with dinner

Don't try in reverse order. It will mess you up!

 

[Napoleon]

Never liked Perrier when I was younger, but Pelligrino helped me tolerate bubbly water. I ended up finding Gerolsteiner which is German and is as good or better than Pelligrino, but always less expensive. (American cyclist Levi Leipheimer used to ride for the Gerolsteiner cycling team.)

One thing about bubbly water is that it has a fair amount of salt in it. There is an Italian brand that I used to find at Trader Joe's in a blue bottle that had 1/3 the salt of the average bubble water, but I can't remember the name and Google is failing me.

 

[Bob Wills]

Apollinaris is another good brand.

 

[l00p]

Just checked a can of the HEB water and it has zero sodium. This is not meant to be a shnarky question but, is that the only delivery of salt in beverages? Is there some in there that is not listed as sodium but as a chemical or something in the fine print? Or do the waters you refer to just put it in for taste? (this was for Napolean or somebody who would know.)

To my knowledge that is limited as a consumer, this water I drink is salt free. It is bubbles, water and lime flavoring.

 

[Napoleon]

From what I can remember, the salt in water is listed under "SODIUM".

The natural "mineral waters" tend to have salt. Maybe the manufactured "cabonated waters" don't. No se por seguro, but I'm thinking that if it's not listed under "sodium", then you are in good shape.

 

[l00p]

Kool and the Gang! I assumed that but maybe they were clever in disguising it as something other than the obvious, Sodium. Yay, my water is not natural!!!