Here’s the weird part: the carbonation can actually help you burp. And if you’ve got a trapped gas bubble making you feel like a human balloon, that release is pure gold. It’s like your stomach finally gets to sigh and say, “Ah, thanks, I needed that.” But—and this is a big but—the same bubbles that help you belch can also bloat you even more. So if your belly ache is from swallowing too much air (like after a stressful meal), soda might just be dumping gasoline on the fire.
And don’t even get me started on the sugar. A can of Sprite or Coke has about 39 grams of the sweet stuff. Thirty-nine. Imagine dumping three tablespoons of sugar directly into your sore tummy. That’s a kindergarten birthday party waiting to happen—and not in a good way.
