Is Sparkling Water Bad for You?

Okay, I need to come clean about something. I used to think sparkling water was kind of….bad? It gave me headaches, made my stomach feel a little funky, and if I left a can open for an hour or two, it’d start to taste like a science experiment gone wrong. 

But after doing a deep dive into my sparkling water aversion, I learned a secret about sparkling water: while it may seem like pure, clean yum it’s often filled with a little something called citric acid. 

What is citric acid, you may ask? It’s a weak acid that’s found naturally in a lot of citrus. If you’ve ever chomped into a lemon… first of all, we’re concerned, and secondly, that sour taste in your mouth is all thanks to citric acid. While we won’t name any names, a lot of big name brands add citric acid in their water to bring out stronger fruit flavors (hi Pamplemousse). Plus, it’s also widely used as a preservative in drinks, meaning a can of sparkling water will last a little longer in your pantry. 

Here’s the catch. While citric acid is not inherently bad for you, there are a few notable downsides to infusing citric acid into our favorite bubbly beverages: 

1. The levels of acidity in citric acid can be harsh on your teeth and your stomach, especially if you’ve been known to chug a few cans, cases, or truckloads of sparkling water a day (guilty). 
2. Foods and drinks with higher acidity levels often cause headaches in headache prone humans (also guilty). 
3. If you have food sensitivities due to IBS or Crohn’s Disease, citric acid can wreak havoc on your digestive system.
4. Acid… tastes bad. 

Moral of the story? My sparkling water vendetta had nothing to do with a deep-seated bubble aversion — it was all due to citric acid. To all the bubbles out there: I was wrong, and I’m sorry. 

p.s. If you ARE looking for the citric-acid free-est, cleanest, and all around bestest sparkling water in all the land — nice to meet you, we’re Aura Bora.