[lenerdenator]

I know that they've gone back and forth on artificial sweeteners over the years, but honestly, one of the best things I've done recently is switch over to seltzer water. Triggers all of the chemical receptors in the brain by repeating the "ritual" of drinking canned pop, but it's just water, so it's actually good for you. Also half the cost.

[flocciput]

I've found seltzer makes me sleepy or fatigued for some reason. Everyone I tell this to looks at me like I'm nuts but I swear it's real. I think it has something to do with the brain's expectation of calories and the subsequent lack.

[MrMcCall]

I get sleepy if I have too many vitamins/minerals (eg: a whole PowerBar or entire Orgain drink), so maybe it's the minerals, perhaps Magnesium?

[Magnesium helps my wife sleep better, but she can only take it at night or it makes her sleepy. I take half in the morning, and I think it helps because we're likely not getting enough in our mineral-depleted foods.]

[deinonychus]

I can imagine that. If I drink a lot of diet soda, I get a bit wired but also tired in a weird way. It's like my body expects some sugar to fuel the caffeine's stimulation.

[lotsofpulp]

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10096725/

>People with little saliva and a habit of frequently consuming acidic beverages are at increased risk for enamel erosion. The basic recommendations are to drink water as the first choice and eat fresh fruits as an integral part of a healthy and balanced diet.

>Health professionals should motivate the population to change their behavior regarding the consumption of acidic drinks, and recommendations should be made at the policy level to discourage the consumption of sugary drinks. Interventions that would improve oral health and overall health are widely available.

[StableAlkyne]

Harm reduction is important.

Normal sodas are pretty acidic - coke has a pH of around 2.5

Soda water has a pH of 5-6.

Your saliva has a pH of around 6-7.

Water, of course, is at 7.

Remember we're dealing a log scale here, and that going from 2.5 to 5.5 isn't a 2x improvement - it's closer to a 1000x reduction in the amount of acid. If replacing soda with soda water is what gets them to stick to it, that's what they should do.

[cj]

I switched from sparkling to plain water a few weeks ago (for other reasons).

I’m drinking significantly less than I was when drinking sparkling.

So again, the question now becomes is it better to be fully hydrated drinking “acidic” sparkling water, or is it better to only drink plain water and be dehydrated? (Rhetorical question)

[seamossfet]

From that same study:

>The increased amounts of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride in the drinks limited the severity of erosion by changing the solubility of the enamel [82]. The decline in enamel’s surface microhardness and mineral loss were both dramatically halted by the addition of CaGP to the carbonated drinks.

Most seltzer water has fluoride in it, and your tap water has fluoride in it (if you're making your own at home).

Also the methodology in this study was purely in vitro, not real world conditions. Notably, the lack of saliva.

>Under normal circumstances, human saliva forms a physical barrier, a film, and prevents direct contact between the tooth enamel surface and acidic beverages, thus protecting teeth from erosive attack by acids [45,84,85,86]. However, the erosion tests were carried out without saliva

Also, seems like the study was more on soft drinks in particular and not "other acidic drinks" which may include seltzer water.

>Soft drink consumption during meals was linked to mild to severe tooth damage [65]. No matter when they were consumed, other acidic meals and beverages were not linked to tooth damage [40].

Anyway, net is this: I'm not saying sparkling water carries absolutely no risk, but linking a study like this and cherry picking quotes to make it sound like sparkling water is going to destroy your teeth is misleading.

If drinking sparkling water helps you kick your soda habit, please definitely make the switch. It's so much better for you. The increased risk from drinking sparkling water compared to still water is not worth worrying about if sparkling water provides a quality of life increase for you.

Everything in healthcare is about moderated risk and counterbalancing it against lifestyle.

[amelius]

Exposing your bladder to a lot of CO2 might not be a good idea.

[thyristan]

To arrive in the bladder, the CO₂ would have to be absorbed into the blood stream first. Which it isn't, it is just burped out from your stomach. Also, CO₂ which is dissolved into the blood stream is removed through your lungs, and the blood CO₂ level is very tightly controlled by various regulators and reflexes. You would know instantly through your suffocation response that your blood CO₂ is elevated.

[marceldegraaf]

Why would that be? I'm no biologist but I'm quite sure the CO2 won't make it all the way to the bladder, when drinking plain carbonated water.

[kvgr]

A lot of carbonated water gives me gas, especially when not eating enough. But I am not sure it is an issue. People have various gas levels, it just goes in and out.

[mort96]

And this gas escapes through your urethra?

[kvgr]

Fortunately I dont have cloaca ;)

[MrMcCall]

I won't read anything funnier on HN today.

Thanks for the visual.

[SketchySeaBeast]

Kazoo orchestra, anyone?

[p0w3n3d]

I always considered drinking a lot of sparkling water an antipattern. I think this is connected with microbiome or people who I knew and who abused the sparkling water. I'm refraining myself from such activities because of the same reason (gas) but I also am sick (SIBO or another inflammation, have to hit diet hard)

[wyldfire]

If gases show up in your urine, something has gone seriously wrong.