Sparkling Ice in Keto Diets: A Zero-Carb Beverage With Cautionary Ingredients

Sparkling Ice brand drinks, which are carbonated flavored waters, have gained popularity recently, especially among those following a sparkling ice keto diet. We will examine whether they are keto-friendly and assess the healthiness of their components. Additionally, we will review their nutritional information, benefits, and provide a delicious Italian cream soda recipe using Sparkling Ice.¹

Keep in mind that Sparkling Ice is keto as far as carbohydrates go, but some of the components are bad for you–or at the least not very healthy.

For this reason, we will also take a look at which components may pose health risks and why, as well as whether or not such components impact the overall health benefits of these beverages.

Is Sparkling Ice Keto Approved? Can You Drink Sparkling Ice on a Keto Diet?

Sparkling Ice drinks, known for their low sugar content and absence of artificial dyes, are often considered healthier alternatives to sodas. However, individuals pursuing weight loss or aiming to maintain a state of ketosis might wonder about the suitability of Sparkling Ice for a keto diet. Specifically, they may inquire whether Sparkling Ice is keto-approved and if it can be consumed while following 3 steps to lose weight on a keto diet.²

Those hoping for keto-friendly Sparkling Ice options are in luck; since these drinks are sweetened with an artificial sweetener called sucralose instead of sugar, these drinks are completely sugar-free and are keto-approved.

How Many Carbohydrates Are There in Sparkling Ice Drinks?

What makes Sparkling Ice compatible with keto isn’t just the lack of sugar, but that the sugar replacement–sucralose–is completely free of carbohydrates.³ Thankfully, Sparkling Ice soda water carbohydrates are nonexistent in every single flavor they make so feel free to try as many flavors as desired.

With Sparkling Ice sparkling water, keto carb restrictions are met and the lack of sugar in these drinks makes them suitable for many other weight loss diets as well.

Sparkling Ice Beverage Nutrition Information & Components

Whether figuring out ways to get skinny fast or needing to track carb intake closely for the ketogenic diet, it’s very important to pay attention to the components and nutritional value of foods and drinks.⁴

After establishing that this keto sparkling water is both zero carb and zero sugar, it’s a pleasant surprise to learn that Sparkling Ice is even a zero calorie ice drink. Let’s look further into Sparkling Ice drinks’ nutrition values.

Each Sparkling Ice bottle contains:

• 5 Calories
• 0 Carbohydrates
• 0 Protein
• 0 Fat
• 0 Sodium
• 0 Sugar

Components:

• Biotin
• B Vitamins 3, 5, 6, & 12
• Carbonated Water
• Citric Acid
• Fruit & Vegetable Juice (for color)
• Green Tea Extract
• Gum Arabic
• Juice Concentrate (1%)
• Malic Acid
• Natural Flavors
• Potassium Benzoate (to ensure freshness)
• Sucralose
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D

Is Sparkling Ice Good or Bad for Your Health?

Although Sparkling Ice is compatible with a keto low-carb diet due to its low carb content, this does not necessarily mean it provides health benefits. So, the question remains whether Sparkling Ice is healthy or unhealthy for you.

Since carbonated water seems like a healthy option for those trying to lose weight or simply focus on their health, many use this drink to try to scale back from drinking sodas or to work towards their health goals.

However, some argue that swapping soda for Sparkling Ice is just as bad and that sucralose can be worse than sugar since it may interfere with hormones and the brain, making one less likely to feel full when they usually would. Additionally, it’s argued that sucralose kills the good bacteria in the gut.

With Sparkling Ice drinks, keto-compliance isn’t the only thing to check for, so let’s look further into potential issues that these beverages may bring and weigh whether or not these concerns should impact one’s consumption habits.

Potential Negative Effects of Sparkling Ice

It’s important to understand the ins-and-outs of each component because some are less than “healthy”, but they’re all FDA approved and can be consumed without worry — i.e. these components are fairly ‘safe’ and only a small portion of the population will have reactions to most.

However, if you’re a health-conscious individual and seek to avoid unnecessary additives, then this section is for you.

Sucralose, along with many other artificial sweeteners, has been linked to gut issues and damage of good gut bacteria. Some alternative artificial sweeteners such as aspartame–commonly used to sweeten diet sodas–have been proven to cause severe damage including neurologic issues and even seizures, so sucralose is certainly a better option.

However, it may cause some negative health impacts such as upset stomach, diarrhea, and headaches, but this seems to be quite rare. Sucralose is approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

Potassium benzoate is a preservative used in Sparkling Ice that may cause potential genetic mutation, but this claim was based on one clinical trial and is not widely proven, nor has the FDA retracted their approval.

Citric acid is another preservative but also serves to enhance flavor. In rare cases, citric acid can cause inflammation throughout the body, but this could be due to an allergy since it is very uncommon.

Those in doubt or concerned about a potential reaction to any components in Sparkling Ice should start with a small amount and consult a doctor if any negative reactions occur.

Carbonation tends to get a bad rap and is often warned against due to its detrimental impact on bone density, causing bones to become brittle and break down, even eroding tooth enamel. Many warnings have been made against consuming sodas due to their carbonated nature.

However, this and other such condemnations of carbonation are misguided, as the culprit has been proven to be the soda components such as sugar, aspartame, and other additives instead. Although soft drinks do, in fact, contribute to lower bone mineral density, phosphoric acid–not carbonation–has this effect.⁵

Note that flavored sparkling waters really can lead to some level of tooth decay or enamel breakdown, but this is due to the flavoring additives and acid content rather than the carbonation.

Regardless, regular tooth-brushing and oral care should reduce or prevent this impact altogether.

For those who are concerned but still want to enjoy Sparkling Ice or other carbonated waters, just rinse your mouth with water and baking soda afterwards in order to neutralize the ph (acidity levels), chew some sugar free gum, or brush your teeth immediately after drinking to prevent any enamel erosion.

All in all, the health risks associated with carbonation have all been unfounded or debunked so be assured that Sparkling Ice not only follows keto guidelines, but presents no dental or gut issues due to carbonation either.

Artificial dyes were used in a previous Sparkling Ice formula and posed a concern to some, but the current formulation doesn’t include any such dyes so this is now a non-issue.

To summarize, there have been many concerns about the health risks of Sparkling Ice, but all of these were based on past formulations, misconceptions, and false claims. Although few people may have negative reactions to Sparkling Ice drinks, such as an upset stomach or headaches, these side effects seem to be extremely rare and are not common nor severe enough to lead us to advise against enjoying these beverages.

Those with sensitive stomachs or severe allergies to Sparkling Ice components should obviously avoid these drinks or try only a very small amount as a precaution.

Health Benefits of Sparkling Ice Keto

Keto and weight loss friendly, Sparkling Ice is suitable for all kinds of diets due to its complete lack of carbohydrates, sugar, or calories.

Packed with antioxidants and vitamins, these drinks are much more healthy than sodas or even diet sodas as they offer nutrients and help replenish vitamins and promote general well-being.

Great tasting flavors abound with over a dozen various options in the “classic” category alone, without even including their caffeinated line. The great tasting flavors and wide variety to choose from can be more enjoyable than drinking plain water.

Hydration is always vital, and with the many flavors mentioned above, those who enjoy Sparkling Ice drinks may stay even more hydrated because they are more likely to drink something they enjoy rather than plain water.

Relieving constipation is an unexpected health benefit of these beverages, but several studies have been done on the motility influence of carbonated water and it has proven to be very useful in keeping people regular.

Not only did those who drank carbonated water have more frequent bowel movements than those who solely drank tap water, but another study showed that people suffering from constipation and dyspepsia who incorporated carbonated water into their diets experienced improved digestion and constipation relief.

More filling than water, carbonated waters such as Sparkling Ice can serve as an appetite suppressant by providing more of a feeling of fullness than those who only drink water.

Quick & Easy Recipe for Keto Italian Cream Soda With Sparkling Ice

Anyone trying to follow the keto diet but still enjoying high carb or high calorie drinks or desserts from time to time may be wondering about losing only a pound a week; since we understand how hard it can be to restrict oneself and follow keto guidelines and limits strictly, we may have just the right thing.

This low-carb sparkling Italian cream soda recipe requires just two components and is not only refreshing and delicious, but is also extremely low carb and has great fat and protein content making it all the more perfect for keto.

Source: Kelly Sikkema from Unsplash⁶

For someone who may be unfamiliar, Italian soda is a drink usually made with carbonated water and a flavored syrup, but since Sparkling Ice already has flavor, we can bypass the syrup. Italian cream soda (sometimes called French soda) is the same thing but with the addition of half and half or some other sweetened cream.

We’ll use heavy cream in ours but feel free to substitute another keto compliant cream if desired.

Components:

• Heavy Cream
• Sparkling Ice (flavor of choice)

This recipe is extremely simple and preparation takes only a minute or so.

Step 1: Pour 1 bottle of your favorite flavor of Sparkling Ice into a tall glass

Step 2: Add ¼ cup heavy cream

Step 3: Stir thoroughly, add a straw, and enjoy!

Yes, it really is that quick and simple–if desired, feel free to use coconut cream in place of heavy cream for your keto Italian soda with Sparkling Ice; although this will alter the nutritional value somewhat, coconut cream is keto-friendly as well and can serve as a viable substitute. Another great way to make this drink even more indulgent without risking being bumped out of ketosis is to plop some berries on top.

Nutritional Information per serving of Sparkling Ice Italian Cream Soda:

• 205 calories
• 1.65g net carbohydrates
• 22g fat
• 1.23g protein

Other Sparkling Ice cocktail and mocktail beverages as well as instructions on how to make them can be found directly on the brand’s website under their “Recipes” tab, and include dozens of fun mixed drinks in both the alcoholic and nonalcoholic varieties.

A few of their popular cocktails include pineapple rum punch, hibiscus paloma, and their emerald isle whiskey lemon, while their mocktail selection offers exciting options such as a cranberry frost mockmosa, strawberry sage refresher, summer sangria mocktail, and plenty of other intriguing drinks in both categories.

Try your hand at replicating one of Sparkling Ice’s mixed drink recipes, experiment with your own inventions, or attempt a version of keto pina colada–Sparkling Ice style.

Source: Jarritos Mexican Soda from Unsplash⁷

Our final suggestion is to pour a preferred flavor of Sparkling Ice into ice cube or popsicle molds, wait impatiently for them to freeze, and relish in this sweet treat. Throw in some berries for even more great taste or put your own twist on any of the above.

What Flavors & Varieties Does Sparkling Ice Come In?

For someone frustrated and tired of being fat but feeling stuck or too restricted on keto, it can be useful to have some little splurges or treats to look forward to in order to stay hopeful and keep motivation levels high.

In addition to manifesting weight loss and working on physical goals, it’s important to have something to look forward to and delicious foods or drinks are acceptable rewards or treats for yourself as long as they don’t derail one’s progress or put them at risk of breaking ketosis.

A perfect reward or even regularly indulged in keto friendly treat is a flavorful Sparkling Ice carbonated water or a low carb treat or dessert made with this drink. The Sparkling Ice brand has come out with various product lines including their classic flavored drinks, caffeine-boosted beverages, and 1 liter bottles.

Flavors vary somewhat across the board, so let’s take a look at the flavor options in each category.

Classic Line (17 oz bottles)

 

 

 

 

 

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• Berry Lemonade
• Black Cherry
• Black Raspberry
• Cherry Limeade
• Classic Lemonade
• Coconut Pineapple
• Fruit Punch
• Grape Raspberry
• Kiwi Strawberry
• Lemon Lime
• Orange Mango
• Peach Nectarine
• Pink Grapefruit
• Strawberry Lemonade
• Strawberry Watermelon

Note: Flavor choices may vary slightly, as some have been discontinued and they may release new flavors

Caffeinated Line (16 oz bottles)

 

 

 

 

 

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• Black Raspberry
• Blue Raspberry
• Cherry Vanilla
• Citrus Twist
• Orange Passion Fruit
• Strawberry Citrus
• Tropical Punch
• Watermelon Lemonade

Exact same nutritional info and vitamins/antioxidants as classic variety but adds 70mg caffeine

1 Liter Bottles

 

 

 

 

 

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• Black Cherry
• Classic Lemonade
• Fruit Punch
• Kiwi Strawberry

These are from the classic line but not all flavors are available in 1 liter bottles

Sparkling Ice drinks are rich in vitamins and antioxidants and free of sugar, carbohydrates, and calories. Coming in a multitude of flavors and sizes–and in both regular and caffeinated varieties–Sparkling Ice keto carbonated waters are great on many trending diets and are 100% approved for drinking on the ketogenic diet.⁸

Frequently Asked Questions