Bubbl’r is unlikely to harm your heart if you’re a healthy adult drinking one can occasionally, but it contains two ingredients that have raised cardiovascular red flags in recent research: erythritol and guarana. Neither is dangerous in small amounts for most people, but the combination is worth understanding if you have existing heart concerns or drink multiple cans a day.
What’s Actually in Bubbl’r
Bubbl’r is a zero-sugar, zero-calorie antioxidant sparkling water with added caffeine, B vitamins, and vitamin A. The caffeine comes from guarana extract rather than synthetic caffeine, and the sweetness comes from erythritol, a sugar alcohol. It contains no significant amount of potassium or sodium, so electrolyte imbalance isn’t a concern.
The two ingredients most relevant to heart health are the erythritol and the guarana. Each has a distinct cardiovascular profile, and they’re worth looking at separately.
Erythritol and Blood Clot Risk
Erythritol has been the subject of concerning cardiovascular research since 2023. A study published in an American Heart Association journal found that fasting blood levels of erythritol were clinically associated with a higher risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke, over a three-year follow-up period. That association held up across both U.S. and European patient cohorts.
A follow-up study in 2024 went further. Researchers gave healthy volunteers a standard serving of erythritol and measured what happened to their blood. The result: erythritol enhanced platelet responsiveness and multiple measures of platelet aggregation, the clumping process that forms blood clots. In plain terms, consuming erythritol appeared to make blood platelets stickier and more prone to clotting.
This doesn’t mean one can of Bubbl’r will cause a clot. These findings are still relatively new, and the 2023 study measured people with elevated fasting levels, which could reflect habitual, higher-volume consumption. But if you already have risk factors for blood clots or cardiovascular disease, this is a legitimate reason to limit how much erythritol you take in daily. Erythritol shows up in many “zero sugar” products, so Bubbl’r may not be your only source.
How Guarana Affects Your Heart
Guarana seeds contain two to three times as much caffeine by weight as coffee beans, and the caffeine behaves a little differently in your body. Because guarana seeds are fatty and not easily water-soluble, the caffeine releases more slowly and stays active longer. One study found that guarana’s stimulant effects were still measurable after 150 minutes.
That same study compared guarana, coffee, and yerba mate head to head. Coffee and yerba mate at equivalent caffeine doses didn’t significantly affect cardiovascular function. Guarana, however, raised systolic blood pressure (the top number). The dose used was equivalent to about 100 mg of caffeine, roughly what a single can of Bubbl’r contains. At higher doses, guarana has been associated with palpitations, elevated blood pressure, and nervousness.
For a healthy person, a single can is comparable to a cup of coffee in terms of caffeine load. The difference is the slower, more sustained release, which means the blood pressure bump may linger longer than it would from a quick espresso. If you’re sensitive to caffeine or already managing high blood pressure, that extended timeline matters.
B Vitamins and Vitamin A
Bubbl’r contains added B vitamins and vitamin A (as retinyl palmitate). In the amounts found in a single can, neither is likely to affect your heart. Extremely high B12 levels can cause heart palpitations and elevated blood pressure, but the Cleveland Clinic notes that one documented case didn’t produce symptoms until the person had received 15,000 micrograms of B12 via injection over several weeks. Your body doesn’t absorb excess B12 well from food and drinks, making oral overconsumption far less likely to cause problems.
Vitamin A palmitate has a more complicated cardiovascular profile. A large clinical trial (the CARET study) found that high-dose supplemental vitamin A combined with beta-carotene increased all-cause mortality by 17% and raised the risk of death from ischemic heart disease in current and former smokers. Another trial found an 8% higher overall death rate, driven largely by lung cancer and heart disease. These studies used doses far higher than what’s in a flavored sparkling water, and the risk was concentrated in smokers and people with asbestos exposure. For nonsmokers drinking a can of Bubbl’r, the vitamin A content is not a meaningful heart risk.
How Many Cans Are Too Many
The cardiovascular concerns around Bubbl’r are dose-dependent. One can for a healthy adult is comparable to drinking a cup of coffee with a packet of sugar-free sweetener. The guarana caffeine will nudge your blood pressure up slightly, and the erythritol will pass through your system without major effect at that volume.
The picture changes with multiple cans a day. You’re stacking caffeine from a slow-release source, so blood pressure effects compound rather than fade between servings. You’re also increasing your erythritol intake into ranges where the platelet-activation research becomes more relevant. If you’re also consuming other zero-sugar products sweetened with erythritol, your total daily exposure could be substantially higher than a single can suggests.
People with existing cardiovascular disease, a history of blood clots, or uncontrolled high blood pressure have the most reason to be cautious. For everyone else, occasional consumption is unlikely to pose a heart risk, but treating Bubbl’r as your primary hydration source throughout the day introduces exposures that the current research suggests are worth avoiding.