Carbonated Water Vs Flat Water For Healthy Kidneys

Not all water is as good for you as flat water.

Drinking carbonated water actually will result in more pressure being put on the kidneys, according to the website Carbonated Seltzer Water. The kidneys, less than a pound in weight each, are already responsible for filtering the blood, converting Vitamin D, and controlling the body's fluid and concentration levels. And if they ever fail, a person can die. Therefore, drinking flat water is a better option for your overall health.

History

Englishman Joseph Priestley invented carbonated water in 1767, according to Absolute Astronomy. But he wasn't trying to make carbonated water for human consumption--he was trying to kill mice. After realizing his concoction tasted good, he shared it with friends. Swedish chemistry professor Torbern Bergman, however, was hoping to reap the health benefits of effervescent spring water when he created a new carbonated water process in 1771.

Function

The kidneys need plenty of water to function optimally as a filter for the body's fluids and blood, flushing out toxins that build up as well as performing other important functions. They kidneys also help maintain the body's proper pH balance. But carbonated water does not have the same beneficial relationship with proper kidney function as flat water does.

Significance

Regular water and carbonated water affect kidney function differently. Flat water works to aid the kidneys in ridding excess minerals and solutes from the body. But carbonated water complicates the process. It adds carbon dioxide gas to the body and its processes. The human body wasn't created to operate using carbon dioxide in any way but through the breathing process.

Differences

Carbon dioxide found in carbonated water makes it more acidic than drinking flat water; that can impact kidney function. The higher acidic content in carbonated water makes the kidneys have to work harder to maintain the proper pH balance in the body. Flat water doesn't contain carbon dioxide gas, so it is not as acidic. Nor does it place air pressure on the kidneys.

Warning

Carbonated water cannot aid the kidneys in their most important function: eliminating waste from the body. Therefore, drinking only carbonated water can have a serious effect on the kidneys as well as total body health.

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