United States: The presence of carbon dioxide (CO2) makes sparkling water also known as carbonated water. Experts study both the advantages and risks of sparkling water.
A study published in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health shows that consuming sparkling water helps people lose weight.
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Red blood cells consume more glucose, and their glucose breakdown processes increase because of the presence of CO2 in the water. Researchers have identified that this mechanism might help people reduce their body weight.
However, when viewed independently, the ultrasound report demonstrates that carbonated water produces effects that remain too small to create meaningful weight loss results.
Researchers suggest that drinking sparkling water may aid weight loss by boosting red blood cell uptake and glucose metabolism, similar to hemodialysis. However, its benefits should be weighed against potential risks and other weight loss strategies.
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How does sparkling water aid in weight loss?
More research needs to be done on this topic. A weight-loss benefit of drinking sparkling water becomes apparent from several explained perspectives, medicalnewstoday.com reported.
Drinking sparkling water creates increased feelings of being full inside the body. The document suggests sparkling water might affect blood sugar, yet the study identifies several unclear mechanisms that are at work.
Researchers examine blood sugar changes after consuming carbonated water in the central analysis of the report. When individuals consume sparkling water, the CO2 passes through their stomach capillaries before entering their bloodstream.
Red blood cells implement carbonic anhydrase to transform CO2 into bicarbonate (HCO3-).
The internal space in red blood cells moves toward a basic state, which reaches a lower acidic level. The process of glycolysis into energy is enhanced through increased glucose breakdown in red blood cells.
Scientific evidence suggests that glycolysis accelerates together with enhanced glucose uptake from plasma by red blood cells.
Hemodialysis treatment, which filters blood, resembles the effect caused by CO2 in sparkling water on blood sugar levels, medicalnewstoday.com reported.
According to a report author, Akira Takahashi with the Dialysis Center at Tesseikai Neurosurgery Hospital in Shijonawate, Japan, “When carbonated water is consumed, CO₂ is absorbed into the blood vessels in the stomach. This CO₂ rapidly penetrates the lipid membranes of red blood cells and is converted into bicarbonate ions by carbonic anhydrase, increasing the alkalinity of the red blood cells. This alkalinity promotes glycolysis, which consumes glucose in red blood cells and lowers blood glucose levels.”
That’s how sparkling water could indirectly aid in reducing weight via its impact on blood glucose.