Anyone who swapped a daily soda for seltzer and then read a scary post about carbonation ruining teeth has been waiting for a direct comparison. A small study presented this week offers one, and it favors the sparkling water.
Researchers at Purdue University measured how mouth acidity changed in 20 adults after they drank sugar-sweetened soda, regular unsweetened sparkling water, calcium-fortified sparkling water, and plain water. Soda produced the largest and longest drop in salivary pH. The sparkling waters caused a temporary dip that saliva corrected, and acidity stayed above the level associated with enamel damage.
