# How much carbonated water is too much? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 8, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138 "2015-02-08T18:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/1 "2015-02-08T18:14:50Z")
Instead of soda, these days I drink sparkling water instead. It is just carbonated water with a little bit of flavoring, seems pretty benign to me. Well, some people tell me that carbonated water itself is bad for you at a certain point. What problems can it cause, and how much is too much? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/2 "2015-02-08T18:39:30Z")
It might make you burp a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/arrogance_ex_machina/32/192_2.png) [@Arrogance\_Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arrogance_Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/3 "2015-02-08T19:37:48Z")
[Even water will kill you](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_intoxication) if you drink way too much. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/4 "2015-02-08T19:45:14Z")
Carbonated water is water with CO2 bubbles in it under pressure, when opened or consumed the gas is simply going to escape and like said you’ll burp. Its water with a gas in it your body produces now. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/5 "2015-02-08T20:32:33Z")
It’s really no different than water. The carbonation will make you burp, but otherwise, it’s equivalent. Now some mineral waters can cause problem. The naturally carbonated spring water in Saratoga Springs, NY, [contains radium](http://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/19/opinion/topics-of-the-times-saratoga-s-unsettling-secret.html), so there is a recommended maximum. The water directly from five of the seven springs has too much radium to be sold commercially. The Saratoga water in the blue bottles and sold in supermarkets comes from a different spring that doesn’t have radium. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2015, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/6 "2015-02-08T21:01:49Z")
Yeah, I agree with the others. Do check the nutritional information for your water of choice, though. There could be some trace nutrients (like sodium or calcium). It’s not likely that there would be enough to affect you negatively, but things can add up if you’re drinking a lot of that brand. The only people I know insisting that carbonated water is bad are the fanatics selling $5000 machines to make your water more alkaline. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/7 "2015-02-09T00:36:03Z")
Well, two different ex-gfs, one with whom I’m still friends, have warned me that consuming too much LaCroix like I do lately is… somehow unhealthy. The specifics are always vague. I would have forgotten their admonitions until a guy I met told me a story of massive early-years soda consumption that led to a serious intestinal disorder, among other problems. Maybe it was the carbonation? But, I’m just drinking LaCroix. The question isn’t about radium, or dilutional hyponatremia, or trace elements. Sure, if LaCroix is laced with poison, someone please tell me, but I want to know if plain ol’ carbonated water poses a health risk. Everyone seems to be saying it doesn’t- is there any hard proof one way or the other? ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/8 "2015-02-09T00:52:41Z")
I’ve heard that the acidity of the carbonated water can be bad for the enamel on your teeth. So sip it through a straw. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/9 "2015-02-09T00:53:43Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > … The only people I know insisting that carbonated water is bad are the \*fanatics \*selling $5000 machines to make your water more alkaline. Italics mine. You misspelled “con men”. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/10 "2015-02-09T01:12:24Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > I want to know if plain ol’ carbonated water poses a health risk. Everyone seems to be saying it doesn’t- is there any hard proof one way or the other? While there may be some association with [excessive consumption of carbonated colas and increased risk of bone fractures in teenaged girls](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed?term=10850510), the hypothesis is that it’s due to the cola replacing calcium-rich milk, not due to problems with carbonation. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/11 "2015-02-09T02:01:14Z")
> [@drewtwo99](#): > > I’ve heard that the acidity of the carbonated water can be bad for the enamel on your teeth. So sip it through a straw. Bad for your gut too? Just mainline it. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/12 "2015-02-09T02:03:03Z")
So… 😕 The friendly ex-gf is a long-term vegan who says, “I prefer my water to be still.” She knows A Lot about food. Does she have some insight into carbonation? Edit: @Qadgop. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/13 "2015-02-09T02:14:04Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > So… 😕 > > The friendly ex-gf is a long-term vegan who says, “I prefer my water to be still.” She knows A Lot about food. Does she have some insight into carbonation? > Edit: @Qadgop. I doubt it. Many hypotheses about how bicarbonate _might_ do weird things, no evidence that it does. At least that’s what my reviews indicate. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/14 "2015-02-09T02:18:01Z")
Ok you have the authority to say so, you are a doctor. But what is the evidence? Has the question been studied? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/15 "2015-02-09T02:35:15Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > Ok you have the authority to say so, you are a doctor. But what is the evidence? Has the question been studied? go to my earlier link and look at the other articles linked to there. Dozens of papers looking at various facets, none with anything definitive about dangers from carbonated waters. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/16 "2015-02-09T12:53:59Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > So… 😕 > > The friendly ex-gf is a long-term vegan who says, “I prefer my water to be still.” She knows A Lot about food. Does she have some insight into carbonation? > Edit: @Qadgop. I don’t want to say anything bad about your ex-gf, as I don’t know her, and she may be a very knowledgeable and reasonable person, but in general, 95% of people who know A Lot about food actually know A Lot about their own pet theories of food. ---
**Author:** ![CGav8r](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/34f0e0/32.png) [@CGav8r](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CGav8r)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/17 "2015-02-09T13:56:15Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > So… 😕 > > The friendly ex-gf is a long-term vegan who says, “I prefer my water to be still.” She knows A Lot about food. Does she have some insight into carbonation? > Edit: @Qadgop. You sure she didn’t say she prefers her “water to be di_stilled_”? It’d make a difference. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/18 "2015-02-09T14:40:09Z")
> [@Clark\_Cello](#): > > I don’t want to say anything bad about your ex-gf, as I don’t know her, and she may be a very knowledgeable and reasonable person, but in general, 95% of people who know A Lot about food actually know A Lot about their own pet theories of food. this. ---
**Author:** ![Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/try2b_comprehensive/32/65_2.png) [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Try2B_Comprehensive)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/19 "2015-02-09T15:09:28Z")
> [@CGav8r](#): > > You sure she didn’t say she prefers her “water to be di_stilled_”? It’d make a difference. No, still. My friend may well be guilty of some bits of quackery, but she’s been in the food business all her life, she does know a thing or two. ---
**Author:** ![Kenm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bc79bd/32.png) [@Kenm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kenm)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138/20 "2015-02-09T15:20:21Z")
> [@Try2B\_Comprehensive](#): > > No, still. I saw what you did there. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-carbonated-water-is-too-much/712138.md?page=2)