Carbonated drinks have a pleasant fizziness and subtle tang, making them a popular addition to meals, celebrations, and moments of relaxation.
But fizzy drinks are also known to cause stomach irritation. This may be due to carbon dioxide gas, artificial sweeteners, and more.
Here’s what you need to know about the link between carbonated beverages and stomach pains, as well as a few tips for dealing with symptoms.
Why Soda Hurts Your Stomach
You can most likely thank the addition of carbon dioxide gas from fizzy drinks for causing stomach discomfort.
"The intake of gas in the form of carbonated drinks is in addition to the normal physiologic amount of gas in our own gut," says Aaron Cohn, MD, a gastroenterologist at Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital in Lake Forest, Illinois.
"H2 (hydrogen), CO2 (carbon dioxide) and CH4 (methane) all come from bacterial fermentation and metabolism of food substrates. Increasing gas in your GI tract can cause excess bloating, uncomfortable fullness and cramping, and some people even feel nauseous," Dr. Cohn says.
You may also feel the effects in your chest and throat.
"In addition to the classic gas pains, carbonated beverages can cause symptoms of heartburn and reflux," says Cohn. "This is because stomach acid is often brought up alongside air during belching — the body's natural response to expel excess gas in the stomach."
It's believed that these symptoms occur due to a stretch on the stomach wall.
"Researchers theorize that some stomachs can 'accommodate' this stretch better than others, which explains why some people feel the above symptoms more acutely than others," says Cohn.
The Issue With Artificial Sweeteners
Diet soda may be the biggest offender when it comes to gas pains in your stomach.
"Simply put, artificial sweeteners are difficult or impossible for many people to digest," says Cohn. "Like fiber, these sweeteners can cause excess gas and bloating."
A comprehensive review published in 2025 in Diseases explored the relationship between artificial sweeteners and the microbiome (the bacterial ecosystem living in the gut) in mice, finding that these sweeteners reduced beneficial bacteria in the gut. The effects of artificial sweeteners on the gut and human health are still being explored, according to Mayo Clinic.
"Any shift in the microbiome inevitably shifts the production and consumption of intestinal and colonic gas," says Cohn.
How to Reduce Stomach Pains
If you love carbonated drinks, consider the following tips to help avoid the discomfort:
- Skip the straw. "Mechanically, people inadvertently swallow a certain amount of air (aerophagia) when they sip through straws," says Cohn. "Therefore, sipping carbonated beverages through straws can certainly make gas pains worse."
- Slow down. "Drink slowly (no gulping)," he says.
However, if you're looking to get rid of stomach pains associated with carbonation, the only real way is to minimize your intake.
"There is no cure for excess gas intake apart from behavioral changes — whether that be cutting down on carbonated beverages or avoiding straws," says Cohn. But if you notice increased gas or stomach pains after decreasing your intake, it may be time to see a doctor.
"Weight loss, abdominal pain, trouble swallowing, heartburn and regurgitation are typically indications for further diagnostic testing," says Cohn.
