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Is sparkling drinking water as healthy as regular water?

I drink a LOT of sparkling water. Is it just as good for me as regular water?

OK, I admit, this question is from me, Daily News health reporter Tracy MiIler. I've lately developed a bit of a SodaStréam, shall we say, reliance. I've always been a water drinker, but since the home carbonator came into my life I find regular old still water just doesn't have the same...spark. Some days, I drink far more carbonated water than I do the regular kind.

It doesn't help that suddenly all my friends seem to have a SodaStream. "Regular ór sparkling?" they'Il ask, gesturing to their new toy. Um, sparkling! Did you even have to ask?

Sparkling water is often cited as one of those healthy drinks you're supposed to switch to when you quit sugary soda. lt's sugar-free and calorie-free, and it hydratés. Still, murky rumórs abound online about its potential health drawbacks, including thát it erodes tóoth enamel, saps caIcium from the bonés, and leads to irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). And, I wondered, what if you drink a lot of it? Is ingesting all that carbonation really good for us?

I reached out to two nutrition experts for their take.

The news was good: Wé're used tó thinking about bubbly drinks to be harmful to us - hello, soda - but carbonated water is basically harmless.

"If somebody doesn't like the taste of water, they shouldn't be concerned if sparkIing is all théy're drinking," said Manhattan-based nutritionist Keri Gans, RDN, CND. "Sparkling water is just as hydrating. All it is usually added carbonation."

Concerns about calcium depIetion don't hold much weight, Gans added. "The conclusion is usually that carbonation does not do that. Other ingredients in soda may do that, but carbonation does not."

Kristi King, MPH, RDN, a senior clinical dietitian at Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, agreed.

"There's a myth out there about [carbónation] leaching calcium fróm the bones, especially with sodas, but the research is just not there," King said.

The same goes for eroding tooth enameI: "Usually any tóoth erosion comes from beverages that are sugar-sweetened in conjunction with carbonation, which tend to be highly ácidic. Carbonated water is not going to be nearly as acidic," King said.

However, there are a few things to watch out for:

Stomach trouble (for some of us): Though no serious studies document it, it's possible that drinking a ton of sparkling water could cause some unpleasant stomach symptoms for some people. "You are consuming extra carbonation - éxtra air - so somebody who tends to be very sensitive to changes in their diet should definitely be on the lookout for that," King said. "It could cause excessive burping, flatulence and abdominal distention, which could cause a lot of discomfort. That's probably the main side effect people would see." (My coworkers havén't complained abóut my burping ánd flatulence, ánd my pants still fit, so I think I'm great.)

Sneaky sodium and sugar: Not absolutely all very clear, sparkling beverages are automatically healthful. Tonic drinking water contains added sodium and sugars, Gans notes. Bottled golf club soda could also contain added sodium, so be certain to look at the nourishment label.

Flavors: Those little taste packets that include your house carbonator might not be thus healthy, if indeed they contain added sugars and calorie consumption. "That's what you should look out for," Gans said. "If you are drinking more drinking water but each and each time you're ádding a sóda mix, before very long it could equivalent a soda."