Can Sparkling Water Cause Headaches? The Verdict

Can Sparkling Water Cause Headaches?

Soda water, also known as sparkling water, carbonated water, seltzer water, or fizzy water, has become an increasingly popular beverage choice. With its crisp, refreshing bubbles, soda water offers the carbonation of soda without the added sugars or artificial ingredients.

But despite its reputation as a healthy alternative, some people report that drinking soda water causes headaches or migraines. Is there any truth to this claim? And if so, why would an innocuous ingredient like bubbly water lead to head pain?

The Common Culprits Behind Headaches

To understand if soda water can trigger headaches, it helps to first review the common dietary headache triggers. Foods most notoriously connected to headache onset include:

• Aged cheeses
• Processed meats with nitrates
• Chocolate
• Caffeine (and caffeine withdrawal)
• Artificial sweeteners like aspartame
• Alcohol, especially red wine and beer

In most cases, scientists believe headache-inducing foods contain amines, nitrates, sulfites, or other compounds that impact blood vessels or neurotransmitters when consumed in excess.

Soda Water Ingredients and Compounds

By comparison, soda water contains just two basic ingredients:

• Carbonated water
• Natural flavors (optional)

And unlike many soft drinks, soda water does not contain caffeine, artificial sweeteners, sulfites, nitrates, amines, or other known headache triggers.

The Role of Dehydration in Headaches

While soda water may seem innocent enough, some theorize the bubbles could contribute to headaches by causing dehydration. And there is no doubt that dehydration can exacerbate headaches.

When the body lacks fluids, blood volume drops which slows blood flow to the brain. This stress then causes blood vessels in the noggin to swell and trigger pain. Some evidence even correlates increased headache frequency and severity with rising plasma osmolality (dehydration).

Because carbonated drinks like soda water can make people urinate more frequently, they could potentially contribute to dehydration and subsequent headaches.

The pH Factor in Headache Onset

Another theory poses soda water may provoke headaches due to impacts on pH balance. Health experts classify beverages as either alkaline or acidic based on their pH value.

• pH of 7 = Neutral
• pH below 7 = Increasingly acidic
• pH above 7= Increasingly alkaline

Soda water typically has a pH around 5, giving it mildly acidic properties. And some research indicates consuming acidifying foods and drinks frequently correlates with greater headache complaint. Why?

Acidity appears capable of activating pain receptors, dilating blood vessels, and contributing to inflammation that makes headaches more likely.

Carbonation and Headaches

Perhaps the bubbles themselves play a role in certain soda water-induced headaches.

Doctors hypothesize carbonation can directly trigger migraine headaches in those predisposed to the condition. Bubbly drinks contain pressurized carbon dioxide (CO2) inside the liquid.

As bubbles escape solution after a beverage is opened, they release CO2 into the intestinal tract. Researchers believe this jump in intestinal CO2 then hormonally signals dilation of brain arteries that can spark a migraine in those susceptible.

Sensitivities to Natural Flavors

While most soda water contains no artificial additives, some brands add natural flavorings like citrus oils or spices.

In certain sensitive people, these botanical extracts also have the capacity to irritation, vasodilation, and headaches.

Individual Variation in Headache Triggers

With so many potential mechanisms at play, whether or not soda water incites headaches seems to come down to highly individual factors.

Research on carbonated water and headaches remains limited. But the beverage rarely emerges as a common headache culprit in broader studies on dietary triggers.

Far more people point to usual suspects like red wine, chocolate, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and aged cheeses when asked to list headache inducing consumables.

Those who do implicate soda water may deal with issues like:

• Existing migraine disorder
• General dehydration tendencies
• Sensitivity to acidic drinks
• Low tolerance for carbonation
• Allergies to natural soda water flavors

Tips to Prevent Headaches from Soda Water

Thankfully, several simple strategies make it easy to keep enjoying soda water without its bubbly bite:

1. Stay hydrated by sipping plenty of plain water between carbonated drinks.
2. Temper acidity by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime which raises pH slightly.
3. Opt for unflavored varieties to prevent reactions to botanical extracts.
4. Try neutral pH brands like Hint water that contain no acids.
5. Slow down gulping to lessen intra-intestinal CO2 exposure from bubbles.
6. Treat existing headaches and migraines at onset with OTC meds like ibuprofen to prevent exacerbation from soda water.

The Verdict on Soda Water Headaches

So, does sparkling water cause headaches? The answer seems to depend...

For most people, enjoying moderate amounts of soda water sparks nothing more than refreshment. But some sensitive individuals may experience head pain or migraines due to biochemical responses.

Thankfully, easy preventive strategies allow headache prone people to control symptoms and still reap the hydrating benefits of Americas beloved bubbly beverage.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.