Healthiest Sparkling Water: What to Look For on the Label

Every few months a new “best sparkling water” ranking appears, and every one of them is out of date by the time you’ve finished the taste notes. Flavors come and go. Brands reformulate. Someone’s favorite grapefruit one is gone from the shelf.

I won’t rank brands. What doesn’t expire is a method: four things to check on any can or bottle, in about twenty seconds. If you’re hunting for the healthiest sparkling water, those four checks will do more for you than any list.

Quick answer: The healthiest sparkling water is one with nothing added: no sugar, little or no sodium and no sweeteners. Check four label items: added sugars, sodium, sweeteners and acidity from flavoring. Plain and naturally flavored versions usually pass. Regular, fluoridated water remains the baseline, says the American Dental Association.

Key takeaways

• Sparkling water is still water to your teeth, according to the ADA; citrus-flavored versions are more acidic.
• Added sugar turns “sparkling water” into something else. The FDA label shows it on its own line.
• Sodium and sweeteners vary by product. Read both.
• No official ranking of sparkling waters exists in the sources used here, so the label is the authority.

What makes a sparkling water healthy in the first place?

Start with what plain sparkling water is: water with dissolved carbon dioxide. That’s all the bubbles are. The CDC describes sparkling water, seltzers and flavored waters as low-calorie drink choices, alongside plain coffee or tea. Harvard’s Nutrition Source recommends sparkling water, or naturally flavored sparkling water if plain is too bland, as a replacement for sugary drinks.

So the baseline is good. The question is what gets added to it. Names on the front of the pack, like “seltzer,” “sparkling” and “bubbly,” don’t tell you; they’re marketing and vary between countries. The back panel tells you.

A four-point label check. Thresholds shown are from FDA guidance on reading the Nutrition Facts label.

How do I check added sugar in sparkling water?

First on the list, because it’s the one that changes what you’re drinking. The ADA’s MouthHealthy page says plainly that “sparkling water brands with added sugar can no longer be considered just sparkling water.” And the CDC lists “sweetened waters” among the drinks that contain calories but little nutritional value.

On the Nutrition Facts label, look for Added Sugars. The FDA explains that it shows the grams of added sugars per serving and the % Daily Value, and that 5% DV or less is low while 20% or more is high. The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 g.

A catch: serving size. The FDA notes that serving size is not a recommendation of how much to eat or drink. A bottle can contain more than one serving, so multiply.

Does sodium matter in sparkling water?

Sometimes, and it’s the least-checked number on the label. The FDA’s Daily Value for sodium is 2,300 mg per day, and again 5% DV or less per serving is low and 20% or more is high.

For scale, a 12 fl oz can of Coca-Cola Zero Sugar lists 40 mg of sodium, which is 2% of the Daily Value. A sparkling water at the same level is a rounding error in your day. A bottle with several times that is worth noticing if you watch sodium. I haven’t found a source that gives typical sodium ranges for sparkling waters, so I won’t guess one. Look at the number on your pack.

Are sweeteners in sparkling water a problem?

Not necessarily a problem, but they should be a choice. Some flavored sparkling waters list no calories because they use a low-calorie sweetener rather than sugar. According to the FDA, you can tell whether a product has a sweetener by looking for its name in the ingredient list; for example, acesulfame potassium may appear as acesulfame K, acesulfame potassium or Ace-K. Our guide to diet soda without aspartame goes through the names.

On the evidence, WHO’s 2023 guideline recommends against using non-sugar sweeteners to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases, and suggests reducing sweetness in the diet overall. It’s a conditional recommendation, and it excludes people with diabetes. Harvard calls the effects of low-calorie sweeteners inconclusive.

My view: if you’re using sparkling water to step away from a sweet habit, an unsweetened can helps with the sweetness as well as the sugar. If you like a lightly sweetened one, you’re not doing anything wrong. You’re just not reducing sweetness.

Is sparkling water bad for your teeth?

Mostly no, according to the ADA. Its MouthHealthy page says “even though sparkling water is slightly more acidic than ordinary water, it’s all just water to your teeth,” and that the two forms of water were about the same in their effects on tooth enamel in the study it cites.

The caveats matter, though:

• “Citrus-flavored waters often have higher acid levels that does increase the risk of damage to your enamel,” in the ADA’s words.
• Added sugar changes the story entirely.
• The ADA suggests enjoying sparkling drinks in one sitting or with meals, rather than sipping all day.
• It also recommends drinking plenty of regular, fluoridated water, and says plain water is always the best choice.

What’s the healthiest flavored sparkling water?

I can’t name one, and I’d be suspicious of anyone who does without telling you which label they read. What I can give you is a sorting method.

Making your own is the cheapest way to control all four. Plain sparkling water with a wedge of lime or lemon is a CDC-style tip, and Harvard suggests sliced citrus, fresh herbs or a splash of juice in water, and even a sparkling iced tea with lemon, cucumber and mint.

Can sparkling water replace soda?

For the fizz, yes. For everything else, partly. If your soda was doing a job (caffeine, sweetness, something in your hand at a party), sparkling water covers the cold, bubbly part but not the rest. That’s why a swap plan works better than a swap.

A sensible order, if you’re moving down from soda: regular soda, then a zero sugar bridge if you need one (our zero sugar soda post has an example taper), then flavored sparkling water, then plain. Our fuller list of options is in healthy soda alternatives.

FizzFree is a quit soda tracker from FizzFree Labs, and its Swap Shelf is built for this: your own fridge of replacements, such as seltzer with lime, where you tap whether each swap worked. Over a few weeks you can see which ones you actually reach for. Details are on the how it works page.

What if I don’t like sparkling water?

Then skip it. Plenty of people don’t. Cold water with citrus, unsweetened iced tea or coffee all appear on Harvard’s list of healthier choices. The point isn’t sparkling water; it’s having something at the moment you’d have had the can.

Frequently asked questions

What is the healthiest sparkling water? There’s no single winner. Look for nothing added: no sugar, little sodium and no sweeteners. Plain and naturally flavored versions often fit once you’ve read the label.

Is sparkling water as hydrating as plain water? The ADA says it’s all just water to your teeth, and the CDC lists it among low-calorie choices. The ADA also says plain water is always the best choice.

Does sparkling water damage tooth enamel? The ADA says plain sparkling and ordinary water had about the same effect on enamel in the study it cites. Citrus-flavored waters are often more acidic.

Is flavored sparkling water healthy? It depends on what’s added. Harvard suggests naturally flavored versions; check for sugar and sweeteners.

Can sparkling water replace soda? It can be the end of a step-down. It won’t replace caffeine or sweetness, so plan for those separately.

Sources

1. ADA MouthHealthy: The Truth about Sparkling Water and Your Teeth
2. CDC: About Water and Healthier Drinks
3. FDA: How to understand and use the Nutrition Facts label
4. FDA: Aspartame and Other Sweeteners in Food
5. Harvard T.H. Chan Nutrition Source: Sugary Drinks
6. WHO: WHO advises not to use non-sugar sweeteners for weight control (2023)

FizzFree is a habit tracker and not medical advice. If you have a health condition or take medication, talk to your doctor before changing what you drink.