Staying hydrated is important, but relying only on water might be dull. Because of this people are trying juice, fruits, bottled water, soft drinks, etc. There are some drinks with zero sugar, added flavors, vitamins, carbonated, and also with electrolytes.
Such a water brand is ‘Sparkling Ice’, which is popular as a carbonated drink with different flavors including fruits, caffeine, etc. A wide range of flavors and zero sugar have made this drink well-liked by those searching for sodas and other drinks with more sugar.
Is sparkling ice good for you? Being accepted and approved as a ‘better drink’, many people are bothered about its health impacts. This article evaluates the nutritional values and impacts of sparkling ice on your health as a popular carbonated beverage.
Nutritional Profile of Sparkling Ice
Sparkling ice is not just water. What are the ingredients?
Carbonated water – This soda water or water containing carbon dioxide gas is the major ingredient in sparkling ice water.
Citric Acid – Citric acid helps in giving flavor to the drinks and acts as a preservative.
Flavor – Varieties of natural flavors such as fruits, shrubs, herbs, etc. to enhance the overall drink performance.
Fruit and Vegetable Juice for Color – The best thing about this drink is they use fruit and vegetable juice to give color to the drink instead of any artificial dye.
Malic Acid – Similar to what citric acid does in the drink, malic acid is also used as a taste and flavor enhancer. It can also be found in many fruits.
Added Preservatives – Including preservatives can prevent the growth of bacteria and get a longer life than expected. Potassium Benzoate is an example of a preservative added to sparkling ice.
With all these ingredients, how can sparkling water be taken good for you in the matter of nutritional aspects?
Calories – This is a low-calorie drink, that helps you if you are searching for any low-calorie option.
Add-ons – Citric acid and malic acid are the additives in sparkling water. The other ingredients are natural flavor which can be derived from fruits, color from fruit juice, etc.
Sugar – Sparkling ice does not have sugar content, but it has sucralose which can be sweeter than sugar and can cause many health risks if consumed in a large amount.
Artificial Sweetness in Sparkling Ice
Sparkling Ice, being a carbonated drink, contains zero sugar. But, it has sucralose, which is an artificial sweetener. It is also non-caloric. However, certain health impacts of sucralose should be considered before consuming.
- It can affect the metabolic process and impact the health of the gut microbiome.
- Can cause several stomach issues such as bloating, diarrhea, etc.
- Though it does not contribute much to calories, the overall ingredients and consumption quantity can have an impact on weight gain.
Artificial sweeteners may help you decrease your overall sugar consumption, but you need to be aware of the downsides of those sweeteners.
Calories and Weight Management
If you are concerned with weight gain or a weight management diet, sparkling ice can be a good choice of drink, because it has low calories. In addition, the soda, natural flavors, and other natural add-ons can promote satiety in this drink causing people to reduce their overall intake of food leading to weight management.
However, it is essential to consider all those individual health preferences to prevent any severe aftereffects from increased consumption of sucralose and other ingredients in sparkling ice.
Low-calories in a Balanced Diet
The ingredients as a whole may not be suitable for your overall health, but the low calories in sparkling ice are a blessing at times when you need to hydrate your body too. Moreover, it can be a variety to your diet. However, such drinks should not be incorporated into your balanced diet daily, which can cause mild to severe stomach issues and gastrointestinal problems. Hence, instead of solely relying on sparkling ice or any carbonated drinks for less sugar and fewer calories, try to incorporate different natural drinks and plain water at times to keep you hydrated.
Impact on Acidity and Dental Health
- The ingredients in sparkling ice, malic acid, and citric acid are used to enhance the flavor and taste. But, they can increase the acidic power of the drink.
- Highly acidic drinks can cause enamel decay and cause your tooth enamel to destroy resulting in cavities.
- When highly exposed to such drinks can cause sensitivity of teeth.
To avoid any dental health issues by using carbonated drinks, reduce the usage. Moreover, it is necessary to wash your mouth after drinking sweetened drinks.
Caffeine in Sparkling Ice
There are different flavors for sparkling ice, but none of them contain caffeine in it. But, certain flavors add caffeine such as sparkling ice + energy, and sparkling ice + caffeine. These varieties contain 70 mg to 160 mg of caffeine, which is completely fine to consume. If you are someone having allergies to caffeine, choose a caffeine-free variety of sparkling ice to prevent swelling, rashes, etc. Moreover, Sparkling Ice + Energy is a caffeinated energy drink that contains vitamins, electrolytes, etc. to boost your strength. Such drinks only provide caffeine in a limited quantity.
Final Thoughts
There is no proof that sparkling ice is completely hazardous to your health. However, it is a carbonated drink that contains sucralose as an artificial sweetener, malic acid, and citric acid as taste enhancers.
These contents can harm your body and metabolism if consumed excessively. Moreover, the acid content can cause tooth decay. To prevent all these, limit your consumption of such soda drinks and try to add other natural sources of drinks to boost your strength and hydrate yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Sparkling ice is a carbonated water with a wide variety of flavors that stands as a drink, mixer, and an energy booster. It has low calories and low sugar, but has sucralose as an artificial sweetener which can cause mild to severe gastrointestinal issues after an excess consumption.
Carbonated drinks including sparkling ice are not a threat to bone health. But, relying solely on such drinks can have a severe impact on overall body health.