Is sparkling water hydrating?
This week’s post is inspired by a question from you all:
I love sparkling water and drink it daily, but is it actually hydrating, and does it count towards my daily water consumption?
Great question! Sparkling water (aka carbonated water aka seltzer water) is a beverage that so many of you love to consume regularly. And you are not alone. Carbonated water is one of the fastest growing beverage segments in the United States, with double digit yearly growth.
What technically is sparkling water? It is water that has been infused with carbon dioxide under pressure in order to give it those trademark bubbles. There are technical differences between sparkling water, carbonated water, seltzer, and club soda, but I will not bore you with a discussion of those here.
The short answer to this question is that yes, sparkling water does hydrate you as well as regular water and you can count it towards your daily water intake. So if you do not like plain water and find it to be too boring, then feel free to switch to carbonated water if it will help you get your recommended water intake. Sparkling water can also be a great, healthy alternative to soda if you are looking to make that switch.
There are some things to keep in mind though before you start exclusively guzzling sparkling water. Many sparkling waters have sugar or artificial sweeteners added to them, so make sure to check the nutrition label of your favorite brand before drinking it and accidentally consuming additional sugars.
Carbonated water can also make you feel fuller, which may cause you to drink less water overall and some people can experience excess bloating or gas if they drink too much. Just be aware of how you feel when you drink it and know that overall, there are no adverse health issues to worry about with sparkling water.
Bottomline – keep drinking your favorite sparkling water and rest easy knowing that it is hydrating you just as well as plain water. But do check those labels!
Some of my favorite sparkling water brands:
Spindrift – flavored with real fruit juice (and a Boston brand!)
Topo Chico – sparkling mineral water, clean and easy to drink
La Croix – the brand arguably responsible for the sparkling water craze, great flavors to choose from
