What Is Diet Tonic Water?
Diet tonic water is a carbonated beverage that contains quinine and citric acid but has no sugar or calories. It also has a lower amount of quinine than a regular tonic water. Both types of tonic water are used to prepare alcoholic beverages such as gin and tonics, Tom Collinses, and vodka drinks, with the notable difference being the calorie count.
An essential fact about diet tonic water is that it will not make any recipe low-calorie if you swap it for ordinary tonic water. You need to reduce the number of other ingredients to compensate for the lack of calories. Using diet tonic in place of regular brew creates an 80 percent savings; however, you still need to use a sugar substitute instead of the sugar.
How is Diet Tonic Water Made?
Diet tonic water is often packed with artificial flavors and colors, partly because it contains no quinine and will not maintain its carbonated properties for long without them.
It also contains citric acid, salt, and caramel color. The manufacturing process varies by brand; however, a standard method entails tap water and natural gas blend. This mixture is forced at high pressure through a tube, where it is heated by fire from an external source.
The resulting gas bubbles are captured in a chamber filled with ordinary tonic water that has been filtered through activated charcoal to remove impurities such as calcium. Subsequently, the gas bubbles are siphoned into a separate chamber to become ordinary tonic water, and the process is repeated until all of the carbon dioxides have been captured.
How much quinine is in Diet Tonic Water?
Since diet tonic water contains significantly lower levels of quinine, it also does not have nearly as many health benefits as regular tonic water. It will help relieve leg cramps and reduce muscle stiffness and pain; however, it will likely take more than one serving to achieve this benefit.
The U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that no more than eight ounces be served per day; therefore, drinking two servings could supply quinine for these purposes.
It is possible, however, that there are side effects of quinine. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) warns against drinking tonic water if you have a bleeding disorder or are on blood thinners because it increases the risk of internal bleeding.
Quinine should also be used cautiously by pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers due to insufficient safety data about its effects on unborn babies and nursing infants. Additionally, combining quinine with heroin or morphine can be dangerous even if used to control pain since it may increase the risk of overdose.
It may also cause severe skin reactions when taken with certain medications, antimalarial drugs, amiodarone hydrochloride, chloroquine phosphate, and mefloquine hydrochloride.
How much caffeine is in Diet Tonic Water?
There is no discernible caffeine content in tonic water. Therefore, diet tonic as a low-calorie substitute for a regular mixture will not make any recipe that calls for it to be prepared with soft drinks such as colas and ginger ales easier to consume.
The FDA does not regulate the amount of caffeine allowed in carbonated beverages; therefore, no proper amounts are present in any liquid regardless of the type or flavor.
Diet Tonic Water vs. Regular Tonic Water Nutritional Information:
• This article was researched and written by Jenny Jones, a writer, and runner currently residing in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. She enjoys playing all types of games and has a special love for board games. She also enjoys painting landscapes, reading historical fiction novels, and watching movies in her spare time.
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