Drinking sparkling water unlocks many benefits for health and wellbeing. On the flipside, the problems associated with sparkling or carbonated water come from the brands that produce them.

Many beverage companies for instance add unhealthy extras to sparkling drinks and replace health benefits with downsides as a result.

Here at Total Soft Water, we believe that enjoying a water rich diet isn’t just about choosing still water and sticking to it. We encourage everyone to add interest and flavour to realise great hydration, health, and variety.

While sparkling water should never be your go-to drink over still, filtered water, carbonating your own at home is the key to enjoying this bubbly beverage the healthy, zero sugar, and calorie-free way.

Here we take a closer look at the benefits of carbonated filtered water and reveal how to create your own at home.

Why drink carbonated filtered water

When enjoyed in moderation, sparkling or carbonated water can help you harness a number of plus-points, particularly if it’s made at home, without sugar, and from filtered water. Contrary to popular belief, sparkling water keeps you as hydrated as still water as a recent study proved:

“The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared still, sparkling and other popular drinks (cola, juices, beer, coffee, tea, and milk), finding that there was no difference between them in terms of hydration.

The USDA recommends sparkling water as a good alternative to sugary drinks as a good way to reduce your risk for obesity. The only time you might want to choose still over sparkling is when you’re working out: The carbonation in sparkling water can cause a build-up of gas and lead to bloating and discomfort.”

The gassy nature of carbonated water has been linked to better digestion. Those suffering from indigestion or dyspepsia have found significant relief with carbonated water settling the stomach and reducing gut pressure. Constipation and gut inflammation is relieved also.

Swapping a sugar-rich beverage with sparkling water means a lower risk of developing health conditions, like diabetes. In addition, motion sickness is relieved by drinking sparkling water thanks to its carbonated qualities. The tiny bubbles keep you full for longer and curb snacking too, which is advantageous if you are looking to lose weight.

How to make your own at home

Making your own carbonated filtered water at home is easier than you think. All you need is a drinking water filter system to firstly make your filtered water. You can buy yours here.

There are many methods for making carbonated water. The easiest way is to invest in a seltzer bottle. These handy devices consist of a tube, main chamber, a head with a dispensing liver and a carbon dioxide charger.

Simply set up the bottle, add your filtered water and apply the carbon dioxide charger. Once the bottle begins to hiss, you then need to shake it to distribute the carbon dioxide throughout the water. For an even simpler method, use a SodaStream for instant carbonation at the touch of a button.

If you don’t have a seltzer bottle or SodaStream to hand, you can go even more old school with yeast. Fill a regular plastic bottle with filtered water, add yeast (champagne yeast is the best variety to use for water carbonation), place the cap on and shake well. Store the bottle in a dark, warm spot for at least two days.

Once you’re unable to dent the bottle with a squeeze of your thumb, your carbonated water is ready. Be sure to store the water in the fridge to stop the fermentation process.

A mixture of vinegar and baking soda can be used in the same way. Unlike with yeast, this method sees you benefit from instant carbonation. You need a few tools to complete the process however.

Check out this video tutorial for what you need and exactly what to do when carbonating with vinegar and baking soda.