Clear American sparkling water has zero calories, zero sugar, and zero carbohydrates per 12-ounce serving, making it a far better choice than soda or juice if you’re looking for something flavored to drink. But “good for you” depends on a few details worth understanding, especially around the sweeteners, acidity, and additives in these flavored waters.
What’s Actually in It
Clear American is carbonated water with added flavoring, artificial sweeteners, and a preservative. The sweeteners vary by flavor but typically include aspartame and acesulfame potassium. The preservative is potassium benzoate, which prevents microbial growth. There’s no sugar, no fat, no protein, and essentially no sodium.
On paper, the nutrition label looks clean. The real questions are about what those non-nutritive ingredients do inside your body over time.
Artificial Sweeteners at Typical Intake
Aspartame is one of the most studied food additives in the human food supply. The FDA has reviewed more than 100 studies examining potential toxic effects, including impacts on the reproductive and nervous systems, cancer risk, and metabolism. Their conclusion: aspartame is safe for the general population at approved levels of use. The acceptable daily intake is 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. For a 150-pound person, that works out to roughly 3,400 milligrams per day, far more than you’d get from a few cans of flavored sparkling water.
Artificial sweeteners also don’t raise blood sugar, which matters if you have diabetes or are watching your glucose levels. Sugar alcohols can affect blood sugar, but Clear American uses synthetic sweeteners, not sugar alcohols. That said, some research suggests that regularly consuming artificially sweetened foods and drinks may not deliver the long-term metabolic benefits people expect from cutting sugar. The evidence is still developing on that front.
The Potassium Benzoate Question
Potassium benzoate is generally recognized as safe in small amounts, but it has a notable interaction with vitamin C (ascorbic acid). When a product contains both potassium benzoate and vitamin C, exposure to heat or light can produce benzene, a known carcinogen at environmental exposure levels. Not all Clear American flavors contain vitamin C, but it’s worth checking labels if this concerns you.
The amounts of benzene that could form in beverages are extremely small compared to environmental sources like vehicle exhaust or cigarette smoke. Still, some people are more sensitive to benzoate compounds. Those prone to eczema, chronic nasal congestion, or hives may experience reactions. Some early research has also explored a possible link between benzoate exposure in young children and ADHD symptoms, though that connection isn’t well established.
Hydration Compared to Plain Water
Carbonated water hydrates just as well as still water. In one study, participants drank either a liter of regular water, sparkling water, or other beverages, and researchers measured urine output four hours later. There was no difference in hydration status between the carbonated and still water groups. So if drinking something flavored and fizzy helps you consume more water throughout the day, that’s a genuine benefit.
Effects on Your Teeth
This is where flavored sparkling water gets more complicated. Plain sparkling water has a pH around 5 or higher, which is mildly acidic but generally safe for enamel. Regular water sits at a neutral pH of 7, and anything below 4 can actively erode tooth enamel over time.
Adding flavor increases acidity. Lemon-flavored sparkling water, for example, can drop to a pH of around 3, which puts it in erosive territory. A study in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that most sparkling carbonated waters ranked as “minimally erosive” compared to sports drinks, which were “extremely erosive.” They’re also far less acidic than soda. But “minimally erosive” isn’t the same as harmless if you’re sipping all day long. Drinking flavored sparkling water with meals rather than continuously throughout the day reduces contact time with your teeth.
Digestive Comfort
Carbonation affects people differently. Some studies show sparkling water can actually improve digestion and relieve constipation by stimulating the nerves involved in the digestive process. Some people find it reduces indigestion.
Others experience the opposite. The carbon dioxide that creates the fizz can cause gas and bloating, particularly if you drink a lot of it or use a straw (which makes you swallow extra air). If you deal with acid reflux or GERD, carbonated beverages of any kind can worsen symptoms, and switching to flat water is the better move.
How It Compares to Other Drinks
Context matters more than any single ingredient. Compared to regular soda, which packs 35 to 45 grams of sugar per can, Clear American is dramatically better for your weight, blood sugar, and teeth. Compared to plain water, it introduces mild acidity, artificial sweeteners, and preservatives that plain water doesn’t have.
If your realistic choice is between Clear American and a Sprite, Clear American wins easily. If you’re choosing between Clear American and plain or unflavored sparkling water, the plain versions are simpler and carry fewer unknowns. For most people, a few cans of Clear American per day falls well within safe limits for every ingredient it contains. The practical risk is low, and if the flavor keeps you drinking water instead of reaching for soda or juice, the net effect on your health is positive.