Nowadays, more and more people are beginning to pay attention to health. Soda water has become popular with its unique taste and health concept, and has become the representative of "healthy drinks" in the eyes of many people. Some people even think that soda water is healthy and drink it frequently as daily drinking water. So, is it really good to drink soda water instead of drinking water frequently? What adverse effects may it bring? What should we pay attention to when drinking soda water?
Soda water refers to weakly alkaline water containing baking soda (sodium bicarbonate), which is divided into natural soda water and artificial soda water.
Natural soda water refers to HCO3-Na type water that naturally gushes from deep underground or is collected through drilling. It does not contain free carbon dioxide, is weakly alkaline and pollution-free. The ingredient list of natural soda water is natural soda water, which naturally contains sodium bicarbonate and a variety of minerals, does not need to be artificially added, and is not allowed to add other chemicals.
Artificial soda water refers to flavored water drinks that use water as raw material, artificially add sodium bicarbonate, and some also add sweeteners and edible flavors.
In addition, there is also soda water that tastes "gassy" and slightly "killing". The difference from ordinary soda water is that carbon dioxide is added to it, and it implements the standards of carbonated beverages and is a type of carbonated beverage. Unlike regular carbonated beverages, soda water contains sodium bicarbonate and is weakly alkaline.
1. Regulate the body's acid-base balance?
The human body has its own acid-base balance system. The internal environment of healthy people is acid-base balanced. No matter what you eat or drink, it will be stable between 7.35 and 7.45, and it will not change even if you drink soda water every day. Therefore, drinking soda water cannot regulate the body's acid-base balance.
Similarly, the claim that some businesses imply that drinking soda water is a good way to prepare for a boy is also nonsense and has no scientific basis.
2. Neutralize stomach acid to treat stomach problems?
The sodium bicarbonate solution in soda water is alkaline, so drinking soda water containing only sodium bicarbonate will have some relief effect on relieving mild stomach acid reflux symptoms, but this does not mean that the alkalinity in soda water can neutralize stomach acid, nor can it play a role in treating stomach problems.
Moreover, if you drink soda water, it may aggravate the symptoms of stomach discomfort. Therefore, if you have long-term stomach problems, you should see a doctor for treatment as soon as possible, and don't put your hopes on soda water.
3. Lower uric acid to treat gout?
Commercially available soda water is made of sodium bicarbonate dissolved in water. Soda water is weakly alkaline and can help uric acid excretion by alkalizing urine, so it has a mild uric acid lowering effect, but the effect varies from person to person. Soda water contains sodium salt, and long-term excessive intake may increase the risk of high blood pressure. Some soda water also contains sugar or sugar substitutes, and excessive drinking affects health. Therefore, blindly relying on soda water to treat hyperuricemia is not only limited in effect, but may also endanger health.
The sodium bicarbonate content in the soda water we often drink is generally 0.1 g/L. Drinking 2 bottles of 500 ml soda water will only take in 0.1 g of sodium bicarbonate, which is far from the effective therapeutic dose.
Therefore, it is not reliable to rely on drinking soda water to treat gout, but it is still helpful to assist in lowering uric acid. After all, it is equivalent to drinking more water, which can help uric acid excretion. People with gout or high uric acid are recommended to drink at least 2000 ml of water every day, and don't ignore the treatment prescribed by the doctor.
4. Is alkaline water healthier?
In addition, some small sample studies have shown that long-term drinking of alkaline water can reduce bone loss and reduce the risk of osteoporosis in adult women; it can reduce blood pressure, blood sugar, triglycerides and total cholesterol to a certain extent, and help prevent cardiovascular disease; it can improve stool texture, improve the quality of life of patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea as the main cause, and has a potential impact on the composition of intestinal microbiota; it can relieve cough and pharyngeal reflux symptoms in patients with reflux pharyngitis and neurogenic chronic cough.
However, there is a lack of high-quality evidence to confirm the effects of alkaline water on health. Some existing related studies are mostly confounding factors and need to be treated with caution. There is no sufficient evidence to show that drinking alkaline water can treat diseases.
Therefore, if you like to drink soda water, you can still drink it. While replenishing water, it can also help relieve some discomfort symptoms, but you should be wary of the therapeutic effects claimed by merchants.
Purchasing：The main ingredient of soda water is sodium bicarbonate, so some people may worry that drinking it will lead to a higher sodium intake. Most of the soda water on the market currently has a relatively low sodium content. What you need to be wary of is salty soda water. If you like to drink it, you should control the amount, otherwise it is easy to exceed the salt intake standard. Frequent large-scale intake is not good for cardiovascular health and may also increase the risk of hypertension.The soda water beverage standard (T/CBIA001-2017) formulated by the China Beverage Industry Association requires that soda water beverages should not contain added sugar.
Unsuitable people：Although soda water tastes good, it is really not suitable for everyone. Soda water contains some sodium. Patients with hypertension and kidney disease are advised to drink less or not drink it; people with stomach problems who have too little gastric acid secretion should not drink soda water to avoid aggravating their condition.Many people think that drinking soda water is more beneficial to health, but in fact, healthy people do not need to drink soda water in large quantities for a long time. Not only is the cost of replenishing water high, but the carbon dioxide in soda water may affect the health of teeth, and there may be a slight risk of demineralization. If you only drink it occasionally or drink less every day, you don’t have to worry.
The most important thing is, don't expect to cure diseases by drinking soda water. If you have serious stomach problems, gout, etc., you should seek medical attention in time and follow the doctor's orders. No food or water can replace medicine to treat diseases.
