Carbonated "soda" water vs water

[Dissident]

Hi all,

I'm looked around the ole innernet for this answer but can't really find it. Maybe I was just drunk.

Anyway, since my fiance is pregnant, she is (more than usual) meant to keep her fluids up. To me, this means water really... not Diet coke like she would have me believe. For Christmas, her sister gave us a SodaStream which is really nifty. We can create our own drinks and it's quite cheap.

She has started making soda water - ie, water, with bubbles. To her, this is the same as water and since she LOVES drinking it, is getting the same benefit.

My question is, is she?

Does the body use Soda Water the same as it uses plain old water?
Does the body get hydrated the same?
Do the kidneys take it on board to flush themselves our with both on the same level?

What do people think?

[Armytank]

Surely it is no different to flat water.........except for the carbon dioxide which would only make you burp?

[Lunchcutter]

my belief is it is the same - only the commercial soda water you've got to watch as this is packed with sodium and can cause fluid retention. have you re-filled the gas bottle yet... quite complex and can be expensive. my dh and i got a soda stream christmas 2005 and we used it like mad until about march, and not too much since.

[Punk Rooster]

I have taken to drinking soda water recently (& no I'm not up the stick eirther), but I mix it with cordial- why, I hear you think?
Because it tastes great & has 1/5th the sugar content of soft drinks!!