It's Your Health!

Carbonation comes from dissolving carbon dioxide in water, a process also used for sparkling waters as well as soft drinks. In addition to the pleasing sensory effect, carbonation is beneficial -- it keeps soft drinks safe from bacteria and microbes.

We know the results of carbonation when a beverage is opened or poured, but what about inside the body?

Easy Carbonation Absorption
The carbon dioxide (CO2) in a carbonated beverage is readily and rapidly absorbed through the wall of the gastrointestinal system. But not all of the CO2 originally in the drink actually gets to the stomach. Some is lost in the fizz of opening the can or bottle, and some may combine with swallowed air to cause a belch.

The truth is, most CO2 in the beverage typically doesn't reach the digestive tract. The amount that does arrive there is quickly absorbed. In the process, it also enhances the absorption of the liquid that contains it, which causes the gastrointestinal tract to empty at a faster than usual rate. This helps to account for the long-time belief, recorded as early as 1914, that carbonation can promote digestion and ease nausea.

Carbonation Carried to the Lungs
The absorbed CO2 goes into the bloodstream, where most of it is carried to the lungs for exhalation. The CO2 is transported in one of three ways. Approximately 10 percent dissolves in the blood. About 20 percent becomes bound to hemoglobin. The rest, roughly 70 percent, is carried by red blood cells in the form of bicarbonate, which occurs when CO2 combines with water contained in the red blood cells.