How to Make Homemade Sparkling Water
Sparkling water represents one of the most popular choices of Italians as regards the drinks to be consumed during the day. This variant of natural water has the famous bubbles that make it more pleasant on the palate according to taste. In addition to this, carbonated water can also bring benefits to the body, first of all a facilitated digestion. As well as “still” water, the sparkling variant can be purchased in the bottle, although it often has a price increase compared to the normal still drink. Fortunately, it is possible to obtain sparkling water at home, eliminating the inconvenience of blisters and the problem of disposing of plastic. Let’s see how together what carbon dioxide is and what it is used for and what are the advantages of a carbonator tap water.
How Is Carbonated Water Obtained?
The first thing you have to keep in mind when talking about sparkling water is carbon dioxide. This gas, in fact, is the reason why it is possible to obtain drinks characterized by the classic “bubbles”, sparkling water in the first place. In nature, water can already contain a certain amount of carbon dioxide, even if it is often very low values (on the mg / L scale). For this reason the natural mineral waters are not sparkling, although in some cases, as in the springs near volcanoes or thermal springs, small basins with a large number of carbonic gases can also be found. In this case we are dealing with natural effervescent waters, which can have a slightly sparkling taste up to a high carbonation, well perceptible on the palate.
The sparkling water available on the market, however, is distinguished from natural ones by a massive presence of carbon dioxide, usually at least 4500-5000 mg / L, which allows the drink to acquire the characteristic effervescence much appreciated by consumers.
Why is carbon dioxide just added? The reason can be found in the ability of the gas to accumulate becoming an acid oxide that does not cause imbalances with the pH of the water, preventing it from modifying its beneficial properties. Furthermore, carbon dioxide is a gas that is immediately absorbed by the liquid, a feature particularly appreciated especially when you want to make sparkling water at home.
To do this, a tap water carbonator is used, a system that allows gas to be added directly to the liquid coming from the aqueduct. The peculiarity of these machines is the possibility of being combined with a filtering group, with dimensions that can be adapted to even the smallest spaces.
The Advantages of Sparkling Water
It may be natural to ask yourself why you need to buy a tap water carbonator to get carbonated water: does it just change the taste or are there other benefits? That’s right: let’s see the main ones.
Promotes Digestion: Despite the false myth that it is responsible for a swollen belly, sparkling water is perfect for those suffering from slow digestion. Thanks to the carbon dioxide contained in this variant, in fact, the production of gastric juices is facilitated which can process food faster, preventing this “weight” on the stomach creating a feeling of drowsiness and, in the most serious cases, malaise. Of course, this prerogative of sparkling water must be carefully managed in case an excessive amount is administered to those subject to gastric hypersecretion.
Helps to Control Hunger: Drinking water is a great way to control the sense of hunger that occurs between meals, and the sparkling variant, in particular, is ideal for “tricking” the intestine and getting rid of unwelcome “hole in the stomach”. All thanks to carbon dioxide and the effect it has not only on the taste buds of the tongue, but also on the gastric mucous membranes.
Counteracts the Action of Bacteria: Gaseous carbon dioxide is a powerful bacteriostatic, as it is able to prevent an excessively rapid proliferation of bacterial colonies. For this reason sparkling water from the tap at home keeps longer than natural water, with consequent health benefits.
The Production of Sparkling Water in The Past
There are also other methods of obtaining sparkling water at home, although many of these have fallen into disuse after the popularization of the carbonator for tap water. The most popular was undoubtedly adding a sachet of hydrolith in, a compound that induced effervescence in the water, however, also causing an increase in the salts present. All this changed the flavor and made the drink unsuitable for those who followed diets low in sodium, and it is for this reason that, nowadays, sparkling water is preferred from the tap at home.
The use of carbonation (i.e. the addition of carbon dioxide) has been known since 1700, when the first experiments were made with some vapors derived from the fermentation of beer. Since then, carbonated water has become one of the most consumed drinks in the world, and it is no coincidence that it is also considered an excellent base for making cocktails or blends intended for human consumption.
