# My Sipping Dilemma (What To Drink All Day). **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 9, 2020, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666 "2020-02-09T05:37:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/21 "2020-02-11T16:00:06Z")
What is wrong w/ just plain water? How is the water out of your tap? Unless you are on a well or something, just keep pouring. Here in Chicago, we get great water out of the tap. I simply cannot comprehend why a bunch of my officemates contribute to a fund to pay for a water cooler. I drink 2-3 cups of coffee in the morning, and then switch to water, which I swill all day long. RARELY if I am out somewhere, I’ll have a lemonade or iced tea or something, but the majority of time, my beverage of choice is water. Tepid tap water - yum! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/22 "2020-02-11T19:09:03Z")
Drinking carbonated anything all day long will destroy your teeth in short order. Stick with water. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/23 "2020-02-11T19:31:50Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Drinking carbonated anything all day long will destroy your teeth in short order. From what I can find, sparkling water seems to [be fine](https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/tooth-sensitivity/is-sparkling-water-bad-for-your-teeth--). > [@](#): > > So, is sparkling water bad for your teeth? It’s much less erosive than other beverages. **Perhaps most importantly, as the ADA points out, it has a similar effect on your teeth’s enamel as regular, non-carbonated water.** To keep your teeth as healthy as possible, the ADA recommends swapping sugary beverages for sparkling water, but not replacing regular, fluoridated water with sparkling water. Bolding mine. I went years drinking sparkling water almost every day without any teeth issues. I don’t drink it as much now, but I drink other things that are probably more acidic (like sugar-free lemonade and carbonated diet soda) regularly, and still no issues. Granted, an anecdote doesn’t make a study, but see above. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/24 "2020-02-11T19:57:48Z")
Anything that is going to be in your mouth ALL DAY should be water. Just water. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Librarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_librarian/32/402_2.png) [@The\_Librarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Librarian)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/25 "2020-02-11T20:05:46Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > From what I can find, sparkling water seems to [be fine](https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/tooth-sensitivity/is-sparkling-water-bad-for-your-teeth--). > > Bolding mine. > > I went years drinking sparkling water almost every day without any teeth issues. I don’t drink it as much now, but I drink other things that are probably more acidic (like sugar-free lemonade and carbonated diet soda) regularly, and still no issues. Granted, an anecdote doesn’t make a study, but see above. Drinking sparkling water is not a problem; the OP said sipping all day long. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/26 "2020-02-11T20:36:25Z")
I’m going to guess that if water, just water, were a fulfilling option for you, **Jim B**., you wouldn’t have posted here because it’s such an obvious choice. And you didn’t ask about the healthiest beverage; you asked for a good replacement for the coffee/tea you’re so used to. I find that when I keep water, just water near me, I forget to sip it. If it’s something with a little flavor, I sip it automatically. Since you’re used to coffee and tea, a hot beverage seems to me a better replacement. I drink herbal tea (usually apple spice) with a splash of fruit juice to replace sweetener or a dollop of cashew milk if I want a creamier drink. When I want something cold, I have flavored sparkling water (no sugar). Lime is a favorite. Hope you find a satisfying replacement! ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/27 "2020-02-11T20:45:49Z")
> [@The\_Librarian](#): > > Drinking sparkling water is not a problem; the OP said sipping all day long. If he had been sipping coffee and/or tea all day long before, surely carbonated water or any of its substitutes would be better on his teeth, anyway, no? Yes, still water is almost certainly best, but even sparkling water, as noted by the ADA, has “a similar effect on your teeth’s enamel as regular, non-carbonated water.” ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/28 "2020-02-11T20:57:10Z")
Ice. Ice ice ice ice. It annoys my coworkers, but not that much, so they say. I try to be quiet. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/29 "2020-02-11T20:59:10Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > Rooibos tea (a herbal tea) has been shown to be anti-inflammatory and to help with colitis. You forgot to mention how it tastes. It hits the midpoint between shit and sawdust, IMHO. Some people must like it though - it would be great if the OP is one. (Note to Jim B.: if you decide to try rooibos, don’t spend a fortune on a large quantity until you’ve tried it. Get the smallest possible package to see if you find it palatable or not first.) The “zing” in various Celestial Seasoning zinger teas is rosella (aka “hibiscus,” although it is NOT the same as the bush most Americans think of when they think of a hibiscus flower). It’s caffeine-free and utterly delicious, though some people find it too sour to drink without added sugar. Bonus, it has been found to have a mild blood-pressure lowering effect. Because rosella is a bit sour, you might want to purchase a small quantity first, as with the rooibos. (And be sure to buy PURE rosella - I got some from Thailand a while ago that was just a pekoe (which has caffeine) with rosella bits added. I left a disgruntled review on Amazon so if you shop there you can be warned away from it.) ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/30 "2020-02-13T01:10:58Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > You forgot to mention how it tastes. It hits the midpoint between shit and sawdust, IMHO. Some people must like it though - it would be great if the OP is one. (Note to Jim B.: if you decide to try rooibos, don’t spend a fortune on a large quantity until you’ve tried it. Get the smallest possible package to see if you find it palatable or not first.) Most of the rooibos teas I have seen are combined with something else - I have one in my pantry that’s orange spice-flavored. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/31 "2020-02-13T03:25:18Z")
As someone who has to work at staying hydrated, I applaud anyone who sips all day. Most of my habits are annoying, I’d love to have a constructive one like this! ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/32 "2020-02-13T03:38:50Z")
Iced tea for me (unsweetened). Iced coffee, if I’m feeling like something with a little more kick (but also unsweetened). ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2020, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666/33 "2020-02-13T16:34:05Z")
Another vote for water. Cold, ice cubes, room temperature, put lemon in it, whatever it takes. I can now drink room temperature water and that quenches my thirst just fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-sipping-dilemma-what-to-drink-all-day/847666.md?page=1)