Is Carbonic Acid Harmful?

Forget the rumor that carbonic acid is harmful – and enjoy your mineral water carefree in the future. The tingling bubbles are completely harmless for healthy people. You should only limit your consumption if you are thirsty and have a tendency to heartburn.

Pros: Positive effects of carbonated water

Is carbonic acid harmful to the body? Most Germans prefer sparkling water to still water – and according to experts, they make a safe decision. The bubbling water even has advantages over the natural variant. These are:

The bubbles act like a massage in the mouth and thus help with blood circulation in the oral mucosa.
Carbonic acid supports digestion by encouraging the intestines to produce digestive juices.
With a sip of fizzy water, your dough will become looser during baking. For more on the culinary benefits of carbonic acid, see the article “Carbonic Acid: What Does It Do In The Body And Is It Bad For Your Health?”

Cons: Carbonic acid can provoke heartburn

Once in the stomach, the carbon dioxide escaping from the carbonic acid looks for a way to get back into the air. This is why you tend to belch once after drinking soda. A phenomenon that can burden people with sensitive stomachs (often during pregnancy). Incidentally, these also include babies and small children, for whom carbonic acid can therefore be problematic. Then:

When the gas is regurgitated, stomach acid can enter the esophagus. This is how heartburn occurs.
If you tend to do this, reduce or eliminate your fizzy drinks altogether. And if you’re also wondering, “What foods are gentle on the stomach and easy to digest?” and “What foods are considered difficult to digest?” – we have the answers.

Good to know: The rumor that carbon dioxide is harmful to teeth and bones has been refuted. In contrast to still water, which has a pH of around 7, sparkling water has a pH of around 5.5. A difference in acidity that is too low to attack teeth or bones.

The original effect of carbonic acid

Healing water was once considered a proven medicine. In order to offer the mineral-containing drink in pharmacies, carbonic acid was added to the liquid. It serves as a natural preservative. Carbonic acid should also stabilize the minerals contained.