Is this beverage you drank during your diet actually a culprit hindering your progress?

When on a diet, there are times when you crave carbonated drinks and end up drinking sparkling water. This is because it has fewer calories than regular soda. However, sparkling water can actually be a culprit that sabotages your diet. What is the reason for this?

The carbonation in sparkling water can increase appetite.

Because the carbonation in sparkling water can stimulate the secretion of ghrelin, an appetite-regulating hormone. In fact, there are research findings that carbonated water promotes the secretion of ghrelin.

In 2017, a research team from Birzeit University in the Palestinian territory conducted an experiment with 20 healthy young adults, measuring their blood ghrelin levels after they consumed sparkling water, non-carbonated beverages, and tap water one hour after breakfast.

As a result, the ghrelin levels of people who drank carbonated water were three times higher than those who drank non-carbonated beverages and six times higher than those who drank tap water.

The research team explained that carbonic acid increases stomach pressure, thereby promoting the secretion of ghrelin.

In addition, carbonated water poses a risk of damaging teeth.

Sparkling water is made by injecting carbon dioxide into water, giving it a mild acidity with a pH of 3 to 4. According to a research team from the Department of Preventive Dentistry at Yonsei University, six representative sparkling water products sold domestically have acidity levels ranging from pH 3 to 5. The mouth typically maintains a pH of 6 to 7, but when the pH drops below 5.5, calcium and phosphate molecules in the enamel (the outermost layer of teeth) leach out, creating holes in the enamel.

There is a study from Birmingham Dental School in the UK that found enamel erosion after soaking teeth in carbonated water for about 30 minutes. If citric acid is added to enhance the flavor of the carbonated water, it can increase the acidity of the beverage, potentially leading to more severe tooth erosion, so caution is advised.

Meanwhile, carbonated water helps improve skin health when used for facial cleansing.

Pure carbonated water without additives tends to be mildly acidic with a pH of around 3 to 4. When the pH is higher, the skin's barrier function can be damaged more quickly, making it easier for skin inflammation to occur. The gas in carbonated water can also induce vasodilation in the skin's blood vessels, helping with skin metabolism. However, if there are wounds on the skin, it can cause irritation, so it is better to avoid using it. Additionally, the temperature of the carbonated water before use should be considered. If the temperature of the carbonated water is higher than room temperature, the gas dissolved in it may escape into the air, which could reduce its health benefits.