Is Sparkling Ice Keto Friendly? Yes But Ingredients Are Bad for You

Keto (Low Carb) | Written by Nathan Petitpas | Updated on 15 April 2023

A can of Sparkling Ice + Caffeine sits on a wooden table with a blurred background of rocks and leaves, the can is sleek and colorful with vibrant shades of blue, and white, and the brand name and product name are prominently displayed.

Is Sparkling Ice keto friendly, or are the ingredients healthy?6 

Sparkling Ice brand drinks are carbonated flavored waters that have become quite popular in recent years so we’ll review the nutritional information, ingredients, benefits, and even provide a simple yet great tasting Italian cream soda recipe using Sparkling Ice.

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

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

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

The refreshing Sparkling Ice drinks are arguably much healthier than sodas due to their low sugar content and lack of artificial dyes, but people following steps to lose weight or striving to maintain ketosis are likely asking a couple of questions: Is Sparkling Ice keto approved? Can you drink Sparkling Ice on keto diet?1

Those hoping for Sparkling Ice keto 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 Carbs Are There in Sparkling Ice Drinks?

What makes Sparkling Ice keto isn’t just the lack of sugar, but that the sugar replacement–sucralose–is completely free of carbohydrates.2 Thankfully, Sparkling Ice soda water carbs 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 Drinks Nutrition Information & Ingredients

Whether figuring out how to get skinny fast or needing to track carb intake closely for the ketogenic diet, it’s very important to pay attention to ingredients and nutritional value of foods and drinks.3

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 Carbs
  • 0 Protein 
  • 0 Fat
  • 0 Sodium 
  • 0 Sugar

Ingredients:

  • 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 for You, or Bad for You (Healthy or Unhealthy)?

Even though Sparkling Ice is suitable for a keto low carb diet, being low in carb content doesn’t ensure health benefits. So is Sparkling Ice good for you, or bad for you (healthy or unhealthy)?

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 ins-and-outs of each ingredient because some are less than “healthy”, but they’re all FDA approved and can be consumed without worry — i.e. these ingredients 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 ingredients 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 ingredients 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 ingredients 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.4 

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 ingredients don’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 ingredients should obviously avoid these drinks or try only a very small amount as a precaution.

Health Benefits of Sparkling Ice 

Keto and weight loss friendly, Sparkling Ice is suitable for all kinds of diets due to its complete lack of carbs, 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 why am I only losing 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 Sparkling Ice keto Italian cream soda recipe requires just two ingredients 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. 

Four drinks placed on a flat surface in front of a city skyline view in the background.

Source: Kelly Sikkema from Unsplash7

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.

Ingredients

  • 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 carbs
  • 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. 

A young girl with short hair, wearing a blue shirt and smiling while holding a yellow ice popsicle appears to be enjoying the treat, with the background blurred to make her and the popsicle the focal point of the image.

Source: Jarritos Mexican Soda from Unsplash8

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)

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Sparkling Ice (@sparklingice)

  • 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)

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Sparkling Ice (@sparklingice)

  • 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

 

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

A post shared by Sparkling Ice (@sparklingice)

  • 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, carbs, 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.5

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sparkling Ice Keto (Clean) or Dirty Keto?

Sparkling Ice has been fairly controversial in terms of whether or not it is healthy and suitable for keto, but most of the issues and concerns raised can be chalked up to misconceptions and since debunked claims.

However, even though dirty keto is fairly relative, it refers to a food or drink that is low carb enough to be considered keto compliant but has other concerning ingredients or properties such as being highly processed. In that case, it is up to one’s own discretion to decide what they consider dirty keto since Sparkling Ice uses the artificial sweetener sucralose.

For what it’s worth, these drinks are okay in our book.

How Many Sparkling Ice Drinks Can I Have Each Day?

Anyone wondering how many Sparkling Ice can I drink a day will have to decide that for themselves as there is no clear cut answer, but it is likely fine to have a bottle or two per day.

Just keep in mind that it would be wise to try to get most hydration from flat water and use carbonated water as a supplement to hydration rather than making these drinks one’s sole source of hydration.

Is It Okay To Mix Sparkling Ice Into Alcoholic Beverages?

It is okay to mix with alcohol, but those on the keto diet should watch the carb and sugar content of their drinks if using Sparkling Ice as a mixer with something else. If they decide to do so, they should use pure spirits like gin, whiskey, or tequila which have negligible carbs and sugars.

 


References

1Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. (2022, September 24). Ketosis. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketosis>

2National Library of Medicine. (2022, January 17). Carbohydrates. National Library of Medicine: Nutrition Source. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from <https://medlineplus.gov/carbohydrates.html>

3Masood, W., Annamaraju, P., & Uppaluri, K. (2022, June 11). Ketogenic Diet. National Institute of Health. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from <https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK499830/>

4Wikipedia the Free Encyclopedia. (2023, January 26). Carbonation. Wikipedia. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbonation>

5Harvard School of Public Health. (2023). Diet Review: Ketogenic Diet for Weight Loss. Harvard School of Public Health. Retrieved February 11, 2023, from <https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-weight/diet-reviews/ketogenic-diet/>

6Sebastian Rodriguez. “Sparkling Ice Drink on Brown Wooden Table.” Canva. Accessed 8 April 2023. <https://www.canva.com/photos/MAEBAuaF2BU-sparkling-ice-drink-on-brown-wooden-table/>

7Kelly Sikkema. “four drinking glass on black surface during daytime photo – Free Boston Image on Unsplash.” Unsplash, 20 May 2019. Accessed 8 April 2023. <https://unsplash.com/photos/0-dFvOkGG6s>

8Jarritos Mexican Soda. “woman in blue shirt holding yellow ice pop photo – Free Fruit Image on Unsplash.” Unsplash, 9 July 2021. Accessed 8 April 2023. <https://unsplash.com/photos/tsG0MX8Z2As>

About the Author

Nathan Petitpas

Nathan has been a fitness enthusiast for the past 12 years and jumps between several types of training such as bodybuilding, powerlifting, cycling, gymnastics, and backcountry hiking. Due to the varying caloric needs of numerous sports, he has cycled between all types of diets and currently eats a whole food diet. In addition, Nathan lives with several injuries such as hip impingement, spondylolisthesis, and scoliosis, so he underwent self-rehabilitation and no longer lives with debilitating pain.