Acidic Levels in Different Sodas

There's no question that soda isn't the healthiest beverage choice out there. Howeverlike with many thingsif you drink it in moderationyou shouldn't have too many problems. Unfortunatelysoda is very acidic – in addition to being bad for your digestive system – and that can do a real number on your teetheven in small doses. Thereforeit's important to be mindful of the various acidic levels in different sodas to get a better understanding of which sodas if any might be a better choice than others.

Soda is not the only type of drink that has acid in it. Many drinksfrom juices to sport drinks to teas and coffeesalso have acid to some degree. Acidity is measured on a pH scale (or acidity scale) of zero to 14. 7 is in the middleand anything that has a pH level of 7 is considered neutral.

If it is higher than 7it is "basic," and lower than 7 is "acidic." Waterfor instancehas a pH of 7. The closer the pH level is to zerothe more acidic it is, and each time you drop down a numberit is 10 times more acidic than the level before it.

The more acidic something isthe more harmful it can be to the enamel on your teeth. Enamel is a protective coating on your teeth that prevents them from decaying. Enamel also gives teeth their unique colorwith some people having more yellow teeth and some having more white teeth.

Drinking soda can contribute not only to this change in color but also to the overall strength of the enamel. Since enamel starts to dissolve at 5.50anything at that level or closer to zero will certainly do damagealso breaking through to the dentinwhich is the next protective layer lying directly beneath the enamel. All the cosmetic dentistry in the world cannot bring back enamel. Once you lose ityour body cannot make any more.

The pH of Coke is 2.52. For referencethis is close to the acidity level in phosphoric and sulfamic acidwhich are at a pH level of 2. This is also the same pH as lemons. Thereforedrinking a lot of Coca-Cola will start to take a toll on your teeth.

There's definitely a lot of debate regarding what's better: Coke or Pepsi. While the taste may be differentthe pH levels are extremely close. Pepsi has a pH level of 2.53, which means that it is only a tiny bit less acidic than Coca-Cola.

Another popular drink is 7UP. 7UPdespite its green packaging that gives it a more volatile appearanceis actually less acidic than Coke and Pepsi with a pH level of 3.20. Howeverthis is still highly acidic when it comes to your teeth.

Unlike 7UPwhich isn't actually greenmany would argue that Mountain Dew has a radioactive green color. Despite thisit's on par with 7UP as far as its pH levelwhich is 3.22. Thereforeit's still less acidic than Coke and Pepsi too.

Sprite is similar to 7UPbut it might be somewhat of a healthier choice of soda compared to others. This is because the Sprite pH level is 3.29.

Dr. Pepper is up there with Coke and Pepsi in terms of its acidity level. Despite being loved by manyyou should think twice before opting for a Dr. Pepperas the pH level is 2.89. Howeverthis is still less acidic than the similar-tasting cherry Cokewhich has the same pH as Coke at 2.52.

If you want to choose the safest sodathen root beer is your best bet. Root beer has the lowest acidity levels of any other sodaaveraging between 4 and 5. A&W root beer has a pH level of 4.75, and Barq's is at 4.47. Root beer is said to be less acidic because it doesn't contain phosphoric or citrus acids and is often not carbonated. This makes it less acidic than some juices. For examplethe pH of orange juice is around 3 depending on the brand.