Business and Technology

Soda Water is a good tasting, refreshing drink for diabetics, because it is totally free of carbohydrates and sugars.

Soda water is carbonated water, sometimes referred to as sparkling water, and is plain water with carbon dioxide gas added. It is the predominant ingredient of most “soft drinks.”. Carbonic acid results from the process of carbonation, and is better known to us as soda pop.

Soda water, or club soda, can be produced at home by using a seltzer bottle filled with water and then “charged” with carbon dioxide. Although it is possible for small amounts of table salts and sodium trace minerals to be present, club soda is often virtually the same as plain carbonated water. These additives could possibly make the taste of home made soda water slightly salty. Naturally-carbonated mineral water results from this process in many areas.

Sometimes sparkling mineral water causes a little dental decay. The potential problem with sparkling water is greater than “still” water, but the problem is only slight. Sugary soft drinks cause tooth decay at a much higher rate than sparkling water. Dental decay may, in fact, not be greatly affected by carbonated drinks since the rate is so low.

Water that comes from the ground - usually from artesian wells - and filtered among layers of minerals containing some form of carbonates may absorb the carbon dioxide gas released by the carbonates. The result? Natural sparkling water. If the water also picks up enough different minerals to become flavored, it becomes sparkling mineral water.

Basically, soda water equals water plus carbon dioxide. Sparkling mineral water seems very special, but it is just a natural product of carbonation. 1794 was the year that a jeweler invented a device to produce an artificial carbonated mineral water.

A taste test of several carbonated drinks determined that Perrier, a sparkling natural mineral water, kept its fizz the longest.

Consumers who believe seltzer to be a bit harsh may find club soda to have a more gentle fizz. In the taste test, club soda seemed to be milder and a little sweeter tasting than standard carbonated water.

Club soda, sparkling mineral water, seltzer, and carbonated water do not have any calories, making them a dieter’s choice over soda pop and tonic water.

The mixture of water, sugar, carbon dioxide and quinine produces a type of carbonated drink called tonic water. Quinine was originally added to tonic water to help cure or prevent malaria. Today it is often used as a mixer with gin and lemon or lime for an alcoholic drink.

So, soda water is not so hard to understand, as these simple facts reveal.