A SodaStream that you use to carbonate plain water is essentially just sparkling water, and sparkling water is a perfectly healthy drink. It hydrates you the same as still water, doesn’t harm your bones, and contains zero calories or sugar. The picture gets more complicated if you’re adding SodaStream’s flavored syrups, which can contain artificial sweeteners, added sugars, or both.
Plain SodaStream Water Is as Healthy as Tap Water
When you carbonate water in a SodaStream without adding anything else, you’re making seltzer. The machine simply dissolves carbon dioxide into water, creating carbonic acid, which gives the drink its fizz and a slightly tart taste. That’s it. There are no added sodium, sweeteners, or preservatives in the water itself.
The mineral content of your SodaStream water depends entirely on the tap or filtered water you start with. If your tap water contains fluoride, calcium, or magnesium, those minerals stay in the carbonated version. This actually gives home-carbonated water a small edge over some store-bought seltzers that use purified water stripped of naturally occurring minerals.
Hydration Is the Same as Still Water
One common concern is that carbonation somehow makes water less hydrating. It doesn’t. In a study where participants drank a liter of either still water, sparkling water, or other beverages and had their urine output measured four hours later, there was no difference in hydration status between the sparkling and still water groups. Your body absorbs the water the same way regardless of whether it has bubbles.
What About Your Teeth?
Carbonic acid does make carbonated water slightly more acidic than flat water, but the key question is how acidic. Tooth enamel begins to dissolve at a pH of about 5.5. Sugary sodas and citrus-flavored drinks land around 2.5 to 3.5, well into the danger zone. Plain carbonated water sits closer to a pH of 3.5 to 4.5, which is mildly acidic but far less erosive than soft drinks.
The real damage to enamel comes from a combination of low pH, added acids like citric and phosphoric acid, and sugar that feeds acid-producing bacteria. Plain SodaStream water lacks all three of those extra factors. Sipping it throughout the day is unlikely to cause meaningful enamel erosion for most people, though if you’re already dealing with weakened enamel or acid reflux, you might want to drink it with meals rather than constantly between them.
Bone Density Is Not a Concern
The idea that carbonated drinks weaken bones is persistent but largely misplaced. A study of older women published in the American Journal of Public Health found that bone mineral density was not associated with intake of any type of carbonated beverage after adjusting for factors like age, calcium intake, exercise, and hormone use. The bone-health worries around soda are driven by phosphoric acid in colas specifically, not by carbonation itself. Plain carbonated water contains no phosphoric acid.
Digestion: Mostly Fine, With One Caveat
For most people, carbonated water doesn’t cause digestive problems and may even help with occasional indigestion or constipation. But if you have irritable bowel syndrome or a particularly sensitive gut, carbonation can distend the stomach and intestines, potentially triggering bloating and discomfort. At least one clinical guideline for IBS recommends reducing fizzy drink intake to manage symptoms. If you notice that sparkling water consistently leaves you feeling gassy or bloated, switching back to flat water is a simple fix.
The Flavored Syrups Are a Different Story
This is where a SodaStream can go from healthy to questionable. SodaStream sells flavored syrups that range from diet versions sweetened with sucralose and acesulfame potassium to regular versions with added sugar. The diet syrups are calorie-free, but they come with the baggage of artificial sweeteners. The regular syrups add sugar and calories back into your drink, partially defeating the purpose of choosing sparkling water over soda.
Artificial sweeteners like sucralose and acesulfame potassium are approved by both the FDA and the European Food Safety Authority, with acceptable daily intake levels set at roughly 100 times lower than doses that showed harm in animal studies. At typical consumption levels, intake stays well within those limits. Still, some research has linked regular artificial sweetener use to insulin resistance, changes in gut bacteria, and gastrointestinal symptoms, though the evidence on serious outcomes like cancer remains inconsistent across studies.
If you’re using a SodaStream primarily to replace regular soda, even the flavored syrups are a step in the right direction. A typical 12-ounce can of cola contains about 39 grams of sugar and 140 calories. A serving of SodaStream diet syrup contains zero of both. But the healthiest version of a SodaStream drink is plain carbonated water, possibly with a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime.
Carbonation and Appetite
One animal study found that rats given carbonated beverages over roughly a year gained weight faster than rats drinking flat versions of the same beverages or plain water. The mechanism appeared to involve ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger. The carbonated-drink group had higher ghrelin levels, ate more, and accumulated more fat in their livers. A parallel test in 20 healthy men also showed elevated ghrelin levels after drinking carbonated beverages compared to flat alternatives.
This is a single study, and the rat portion involved long-term, consistent carbonation exposure. It hasn’t been replicated widely in humans, so it’s too early to say carbonated water will make you hungrier in any meaningful way. But if you notice that sparkling water seems to increase your appetite rather than curb it, it’s worth paying attention to.
The Biggest Health Win: Replacing Soda
The most significant health benefit of a SodaStream isn’t something it adds to your diet. It’s what it removes. If a SodaStream helps you stop drinking sugary soda, you’re cutting a major source of empty calories, added sugar, phosphoric acid, and artificial colorings from your daily routine. Sparkling water mimics the fizzy sensation people crave from soda without the sugar, calories, or chemical additives found in most soft drinks. For people who find plain water boring, that fizz can be the difference between staying hydrated and reaching for a can of something worse.