Who among us has not had an unpleasant experience with overeating? These kinds of stomach aches, and other digestion problems, are something we do not enjoy. But, if we cannot avoid such distress, we will welcome anything that offers fast relief!

Carbonated water eases the symptoms of some forms of stomach ailments as well as constipation. I learned this the hard way, which, unfortunately, is usually how I learn all my lessons.

My main symptom of stomach problems is feeling bloated from fullness in the upper abdominal region after overeating — something I do a lot. Suffering was my typical experience; then I started working for a man who would always take water and baking soda whenever he had these symptoms. One day, I was really miserable, so I tried his remedy; after a short while, I felt dramatically better.

Naturally, I wanted to learn why this works so well. This was long before antacid medications were sold over the counter (OTC) and also long before people could run to the doctor with every ache, pain or stomach problem. Basically adding baking soda with water produces carbon dioxide gas with bubbles and somehow the bubbles and the ingredients form a solution that aids the movement of the digestive tract, relieving some of the problems from overeating – that bloated feeling goes away.

This adding baking soda and water actually forms which has been used for years to treat digestive complaints, yet no research exists if it is effective or how it works. I discovered studies showing something interesting — both the bubbles of carbon dioxide and the presence of high minerals can stimulate the digestive process. This, essentially , is what I was making with baking soda and water. There was no other information on whether the bubbles or the mineral-rich carbonated water are more effective.

I found some suggestions for stopping these problems before they develop, such as: eating smaller meals; reduce eating a lot of fat; avoiding foods that cause your stomach problems; and if you smoke, stopping as soon as possible. Everyone should drink a healthy amount of fluids to maintain movement of the Gastrointestinal tract and head off constipation.

I read about some devices to make homemade carbonated water, which you can use for drinking. Adding a number of flavors creates an option to regular soda pop, which is especially great if you want to avoid the calories. By making this homemade drink with water rich in minerals, you have made a very healthy and low calorie drink, called sparkling water, which is good for your whole family. A large assortment of calorie free flavors to flavor sparkling water to great taste is sold at allfreight.com.

Something I now know from personal experience is this: if you have overeaten but feel absolutely miserable and must work for the rest of the day, carbonated water does help.