The pH of Beverages Available to the American Consumer

Objectives: Dental erosion (DE) is the chemical dissolution of surface tooth structure when acid environments are pH<4.0. The origin of acids that potentially cause DE may be either intrinsic, e.g., HCl associated with gastric reflux; or, they may be extrinsic as contained within solids or liquids that are ingested orally. Many beverages consumed on a regular basis are acidic and, therefore, would contribute to DE. Definitive information of beverage pH is limited due to the extensive development and marketing of beverage diversity. The purpose of this study is to measure the pH of soft drinks, juices, fruit drinks, waters, sport drinks and energy drinks now available to the consumer; and record the acid(s) added to these beverages. Methods: A selection of 379 beverages was obtained from stores in the Birmingham, AL area. The Nutrition Information label was used to determine the acid(s) added to each beverage. An Accumet AR 15 pH meter (Fisher Scientific, Pittsburgh) was used to measure the pH of each beverage (n = 3). The pH data were recorded as mean ± standard deviation. Results: Citric, phosphoric and malic were the most frequently added acids. Soft drinks had a pH range of 2.25-4.57 with a mean of 3.10 ± 0.02. Energy drinks' pH ranged from 2.47-3.65 with a mean of 3.12 ± 0.01. Juices' pH ranged from 2.25-4.69 with a mean of 3.48 ± 0.01. Sport drinks' pH ranged from 2.67-3.18 with a mean of 3.12 ± 0.01. Beverages that were above the critical pH of 4.0 (25/379 = 6.6%) included all of the waters tested (including non-flavored carbonated water), some types of root beer, some teas, and few vegetable and fruit juices. Conclusions: The majority (354/379 = 93.4%) of beverages that were assessed for acidity had a pH below 4.0. Support: NIDCR T32-DE017607