Everyone wants to quickly lose those extra kilos and what if someone tells you that you can lose weight by just drinking water? Well, a new study has revealed that drinking sparkling or fizzy water can actually help with weight loss.
According to a new article published on January 21 in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health, a researcher evaluated how fizzy water could aid your weight loss efforts beyond filling the void left by ditching sodas.
The researchers maintain that beverages like sparkling water can fill the void without adding calories or undesirable chemicals.
Meanwhile, the lead study author Dr Akira Takahashi from the Tesseikai Neurosurgery Hospital in Japan stressed that a balanced diet and physical activity remain the key to healthy weight loss.
Takahashi analysed the process of digesting carbonated water and compared it to haemodialysis, a treatment through which blood is filtered through the kidneys. He reported that absorption of the fizzy water through the stomach lining could lead to the alkalinisation of the CO2 contained in the water.
According to the researchers, this mechanism could lead to a metabolic boost and speed up glucose absorption, according to the report author, therefore indirectly promoting weight loss. However, it’s far from being a miracle pathway to a slimmer figure.
“Given this minimal glucose reduction, the impact of CO2 in carbonated water is not a standalone solution for weight loss. A balanced diet and regular physical activity remain crucial components of sustainable weight management,” Takahashi said as quoted by Euro News.
The researchers also warned that carbonated water can have unwanted effects on the digestive system, such as bloating, gas, or digestive disorders, especially for sensitive individuals or re-existing gastrointestinal conditions.
“This is a short theoretical report with no experimental data to support a claim that fizzy drinks may aid weight loss. I am sceptical of the claimed mechanism,” Keith Frayn, an emeritus professor of human metabolism at the University of Oxford in the UK, said in a statement when asked about the study.
Frayn, who didn’t take part in the research, added that the potential impact on glucose in the blood “will not necessarily lead to weight loss, however minimal”.
“If fizzy drinks were to be shown to lead to weight loss, it would much more likely be through effects on feelings of fullness,” he said.