Bad News For Seltzer Lovers: It’s Not As Healthy As You Think

The flavors are where things turn especially sour. A study from the University of Birmingham and Birmingham Dental Hospital concluded that flavored soda waters are nearly just as bad for teeth as soda. The pH of a lime-flavored seltzer, for example, may cause close to the same amount of damage to your teeth as a cola. Flavored soda waters pH levels range from 2.74 to 3.34, while Coca Cola has a pH level of around 2.525.

(At the risk of sounding dramatic, for reference, battery acid has a pH of 1.0. ???? )

Damien Walmsley, a professor of dentistry at the University of Birmingham, told The Atlantic that seltzer isn’t that much of a risk for the average healthy person, but there are measures you can take to reduce potential damage as much as possible. Read about them at The Atlantic. 

If you’re wondering if your San Pellegrino is safer than more pedestrian club soda, it’s not. Carbonated waters of all walks of life contain carbonic acid. And to blow your mind a little more, we’ll have you know that club soda, seltzer and mineral water are all different drinks.

As HuffPost previously reported, both seltzer water and club soda have been artificially carbonated, but the latter contains added mineral-like ingredients like potassium sulfate. Dr. Mark Wolff, a professor at New York University’s College of Dentistry, told HuffPost that the added minerals don’t increase the tooth erosion.

“The minerals could actually help reduce erosion a bit by changing the solubility of the tooth,” he said. 

There can also be variation within a type of bubbly water when brand comes into play. In its 2014 quality report, Nestle listed Perrier’s pH as 5.8. Wolff said this number shows that Perrier is more acidic than other fizzy waters, which average a pH of 6.8.  

While he explained there’s not too much to worry about when it comes to plain carbonated water and enamel erosion, if you are particularly sensitive or concerned, you might consider giving up Perrier for good. 

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