Is Tonic Water Good for You? Sugar, Quinine, and What to Know

Is tonic water good for you? The short answer: it's a soft drink. It isn't a health drink, and for most people it isn't harmful in normal amounts either. The two things worth knowing about are the sugar, which is close to what's in a regular soda, and the quinine, which is there for flavor and isn't medicine.

Here's what's in tonic water, how much sugar and quinine it has, what the FDA says about tonic water and leg cramps, who should be careful with it, and lighter ways to drink it.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or take medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist about quinine.

What's in Tonic Water?

Tonic water is a carbonated soft drink. It contains carbonated water, a sweetener, quinine for bitterness, citric acid, and natural flavors. Diet and light versions swap the sugar for low- or no-calorie sweeteners. That's the whole list. There are no vitamins or minerals in it worth counting.

How Much Sugar Is in Tonic Water? Sugar by Tonic Water Brand

This is the biggest thing to watch. Regular tonic water is high in added sugar, about as much as a regular soda.

Tonic (12 oz)	Sugar	Calories
Schweppes tonic water	About 32 g	About 130
Fever-Tree Indian	About 24 g	About 100
Diet tonic	0 g	0

Many people are surprised by this because tonic looks like sparkling water. It isn't. If you're watching sugar or calories, treat regular tonic the way you'd treat a soda. Our does tonic water have sugar post has the full brand-by-brand breakdown.

How Much Quinine Is in Tonic Water?

Quinine comes from the bark of the cinchona tree and was long used as a treatment for malaria. The amount of quinine in tonic water is very little. The FDA limits quinine in tonic water to 83 parts per million, about 83 milligrams per liter. At that limit:

• An 8 oz glass has up to about 20 mg of quinine.
• A 12 oz can has up to about 30 mg.

For comparison, a single capsule of prescription quinine (Qualaquin, which is approved only to treat malaria) contains 324 mg. Tonic water is regulated as a beverage, and the quinine in it is there for the bitter taste. You can read more about where it comes from in our guide to quinine.

Does Tonic Water Have Any Health Benefits?

Not any proven ones. The benefit of tonic water is taste. It's a bitter, refreshing mixer, and it makes a good non-alcoholic drink over ice with lime. Claims that tonic water treats cramps, boosts health, or works as a remedy aren't supported, and the quinine in it is far below a drug dose.

Does Tonic Water Help With Leg Cramps?

This is the most common health question about tonic water. Here's what the FDA has said about quinine and leg cramps:

• In 1994, the FDA determined that over-the-counter quinine products were not safe and effective for treating nighttime leg cramps.
• In 2006, it took action to remove unapproved quinine drug products from the market, citing serious side effects.
• In 2010, it warned against using prescription quinine for leg cramps, which is an unapproved, off-label use, because of the risk of serious and sometimes life-threatening reactions.

Tonic water isn't approved to treat leg cramps or anything else. The quinine in it is a small fraction of a drug dose, and it's there for flavor. If you get frequent leg cramps, talk to your doctor instead of reaching for tonic.

Side Effects of Quinine

At drug doses, quinine can cause side effects such as ringing in the ears, headache, nausea, and vision changes, and more serious problems like blood disorders, heart rhythm changes, and allergic reactions. Prescription quinine is approved in the U.S. only to treat malaria.

The amount diluted in tonic water is much lower, and for most people a glass of tonic water shouldn't be harmful. But people who are sensitive to quinine can still react, and drinking a lot of tonic water adds up both the sugar and the quinine. If you notice a rash, ringing ears, or feel unwell after drinking tonic, stop and talk to a doctor.

Who Should Be Careful With Tonic Water?

Most people can drink tonic water in normal amounts. A few groups should check with a doctor first:

• People sensitive to quinine. Some people react to quinine, and rare reactions have been reported even from tonic water.
• Pregnant women and older adults. The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends that pregnant women and the elderly avoid quinine-containing drinks.
• People taking medication. Quinine can interact with some medications, so ask your pharmacist if you drink tonic often.
• People with liver or kidney disease or heart rhythm problems. These are among the conditions where quinine drugs call for caution, so ask your doctor whether tonic is okay for you.
• Anyone watching sugar. Regular tonic has as much sugar as soda, so diet tonic or a lower-sugar option may be a better fit.

Is Tonic Water Healthier Than Soda?

Not really. Regular tonic water and regular soda are close in sugar and calories. Tonic does have a less sweet, more bitter taste, and some people find they drink less of it. Diet tonic has no sugar, the same as diet soda.

Lighter Ways to Drink Tonic

• Choose diet or light tonic if you want the bitterness without the sugar.
• Use less. Half tonic and half soda water cuts the sugar in half and still tastes like tonic.
• Try a tonic syrup. You mix it with plain sparkling water, so you control how much goes in.
• Add fresh citrus. A big squeeze of lime or grapefruit adds flavor without much sugar.

Jo's Tonics are the tonic syrups we make with real cinchona bark and fresh citrus. One ounce with five ounces of sparkling water has 6 grams of sugar and 30 calories, a fraction of a regular bottled tonic.

What About Tonic Cocktails?

Adding a spirit adds calories. A gin and tonic or vodka tonic made with regular tonic has the sugar from the tonic plus the calories from the alcohol. Our guides to gin and tonic calories and vodka tonic calories break it down.

Is Tonic Water Good for You? FAQ

Is tonic water good for you?

It's a soft drink, not a health drink. It's fine for most people in normal amounts, but regular tonic has about as much sugar as soda.

Is it OK to drink tonic water every day?

For most people, a glass now and then is fine. If you drink it daily, the sugar adds up, so diet tonic or a lower-sugar option makes sense. If you're pregnant, sensitive to quinine, or on medication, check with your doctor.

Can tonic water help with leg cramps?

The FDA has not approved quinine for leg cramps and has warned against using quinine drugs for them. Tonic water isn't a treatment. Talk to your doctor about frequent cramps.

What does quinine do for your body?

At prescription doses, quinine is used to treat malaria. The small amount in tonic water is there for the bitter flavor.

Is tonic water okay for your liver?

That's a question for your doctor. People with liver disease are generally advised to be cautious with quinine, and the sugar in regular tonic is worth keeping in mind too.

Is diet tonic water healthier?

It has no sugar and no calories, so it's the better pick if you're watching either. It still has quinine.

Does tonic water have caffeine?

No. Tonic water is caffeine-free. Its bitterness comes from quinine, not caffeine.

Is tonic water the same as sparkling water?

No. Sparkling water has no sugar or quinine. Tonic water has both. See tonic water vs. club soda.