Carbonated water also is known as club soda, soda water, sparkling water or seltzer. It is water that has been pumped with carbon dioxide gas, which gives it a fizzy, bubbly texture. Carbonated water can help you lose weight by being a substitute for soda or by filling you up to keep your appetite and hunger under control.
Effects on Weight
For people who enjoy drinking soda, carbonated water can provide a calorie- and sugar-free substitute. This can save around 140 calories and up to 40 g of sugar in one 12-oz. serving. Drinking a glass of water before a meal can help make you full and allow you to eat less during meals. The results of a clinical trial performed at Virginia Tech University were presented to the American Chemical Society, found that people who drank 2 cups of water before meals ate up to 90 calories less. Over the study’s time period of 12 weeks, those who did this before each of their three daily meals lost 5 lbs. more than the control group. The bubbles in carbonated water cause it to be more voluminous than flat water, which can work even better to fill your stomach and control your appetite.
Weight Loss
Carbonated water can help you feel full and cut down on your calories because you feel less hunger, but it will not promote weight loss by itself. If you do not cut your total calorie intake, you won’t lose weight. To lose weight at a healthy rate of 1 to 2 lbs. per week, you must subtract 500 to 1,000 calories from your maintenance level per day. So, for example, if you burn 2,400 calories per day, you should eat 1,900 or 1,400 calories per day to lose about 1 or 2 lbs. of fat per week, respectively. To find out your maintenance level, use the calorie counter in the resources section. Any sugar or syrups added to carbonated water as a flavoring can add to your calorie totals, and it also may lead to sugar cravings.
Amount to Drink
According to Mayo Clinic, most doctors recommend about 8 or 9 cups of water per day. Carbonated water can be included as part of this liquid intake. An easy way to remember how much water you need to drink is by following the “8 by 8 rule”: 8 cups of water, 8 times a day. Under many conditions, you may need to drink more. For example, you will need an extra 1.5 to 2.5 cups of water for short exercise sessions, and more if you work out longer. Pregnant women are advised to drink 13 cups of water a day. Hot or humid weather, high altitudes and certain illnesses can cause your body to lose water, requiring you to drink more to replace it.
Side Effects
Drinking carbonated drinks may upset your digestive system and commonly cause bloating. Bloating may cause discomfort and pain, which is usually temporary and not a serious complication. Carbonated drinks also may aggravate your bladder and cause temporary urinary incontinence.
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