Why Jewish giving to Israel is losing ground

American Jews donate at high levels to charity. One way they support causes in the U.S., Israel and other places is collective, often through large grant-making organizations.

In researching this organized philanthropy, I’ve observed that the proportion of Jewish institutional giving to Israeli causes has fallen since 2009. I believe that several factors, including demographic and social changes, a diminishing perception of Israel as being in need and concerns over the Palestinian-Israeli conflict have probably been driving this decline for years.

More recently, Israel’s increasingly conservative policies on social and religious issues, which are often at odds with what most American Jews support, might also be playing a role.

A tradition of support

American Jews proved a major source of philanthropic support for the Israeli state and Israeli society throughout the 20th century. A network of Jewish fundraising and advocacy groups have long organized collective donations and lobbying efforts.

These groups make major donations to large Israeli nonprofits, like the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Joint Distribution Committee, which then distribute them to smaller, local nonprofits.

However, knowledge about the actual scope of Jewish philanthropic contributions to Israel is limited. Data collected by my colleagues at Brandeis University indicate a steady increase from US Is seltzer water healthy? https://theconversation.com/is-seltzer-water-healthy-136670 Sun, 10 Jul 2022 14:53:50 +0000 tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/136670 Bubbly waters are becoming increasingly popular. While these carbonated, sometimes flavored beverages might cause slight harm to teeth, they are far better than soda. They might even be good for you. Rahel Mathews, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, Mississippi State University

My health conscious friends and colleagues tell me that they need an alternative to soda but plain water is too boring. They, like many people, are turning to sparkling water and flavored seltzer water.

Carbonated waters are being promoted as the low-calorie or zero-calorie alternative to soda. In a 12-month period from August 2018 to August 2019, sales of sparkling water increased by 13% compared to the previous year.

But is it really a healthy alternative?

As a registered dietitian nutritionist, I get this question all the time. As with much of nutrition, the answer is not a clear yes or no. Researchers have studied sparkling water, though not extensively, for its effects on teeth, bones and digestion. Is it bad for you? Probably not. Is it good for you? Maybe. Is it better than soda? Definitely.

Seltzer vs. soda

Seltzer water is simply water infused with pressurized carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide creates the bubbles in fizzy water but also adds acidity to the beverages. Manufacturers also infuse many of these seltzers with the ever mysterious “natural flavors.” These are usually just chemicals extracted from plants or animals that add flavor without using sugar or adding many calories.

Soda, on the other hand, is carbonated water plus a sweetener such as cane sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Some sodas, in particular colas, also add phosphoric acid or citric acid for flavor and to act as a preservative as well as caffeine.

The most well-studied risk posed by seltzer and soda are their potential effect on teeth and bones.

In 2007, researchers soaked teeth in seltzer water for 30 minutes and found that the seltzer did start to erode the enamel. This isn’t great if you plan on soaking your teeth in seltzer or drink it all day. But researchers compared the erosive effects of seltzer to soda, coffee, energy drinks and diet cola and found seltzer to be the least harmful to teeth.

While plain seltzer is better than more acidic sodas and coffee, in 2018, researchers looked at the potential risks of added artificial flavors in bottled water. They found that different additives produced varying levels of acidity, and like past studies, that acidity did cause some enamel erosion.

The bottom line is that both plain and flavored sparkling water could have effects on your teeth after long exposures. The farther you go from plain water – whether that is with carbonation or flavoring – the worse for your teeth. Experts recommend that you drink bubbly water while eating food and avoid swishing it around your mouth to avoid the effects of acidity on your teeth.

Another general concern people have about seltzer is that it might cause osteoporosis – a condition where bones get less dense and become fragile.

In 2006, a team of researchers investigated this idea in a study that looked at 2,500 people and compared cola drinkers to people who drink other carbonated drinks without caffeine or phosphoric acid. They found that people who regularly drank colas were more likely to have some bone loss compared to those who did not. The scientists thought that the people consuming colas were also less likely to consume foods and drinks which helped build bone. People who drank seltzer or other carbonated beverages aside from cola didn’t have any of the bone density loss.

Unexpected benefits

More recently, researchers have begun to investigate whether there are any potential health benefits of carbonated water, and there is some early but encouraging evidence.

Two small randomized controlled studies with elderly patients showed that drinking seltzer water relieves constipation and stomach pain better than tap water.

So is fizzy water healthy?

Well, there isn’t much evidence that sparkling water is bad for you. If you are more likely to drink water when it is carbonated, there is not enough evidence to give it up. The acidity might harm your teeth if you drink a lot of it, but if the choice is between sugary, acidic soda and seltzer, choose the seltzer.

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This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Rahel Mathews, Mississippi State University.

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Rahel Mathews does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.