Is Your Soda Biting You Back?The tingle from fizzy drinks isn't physical.

From the show

Science Around You

The fizzy sensation from carbonated drinks is a combination of taste and pain. We've long thought the tingle came from bubbles popping, but the real cause is a chemical reaction on the tongue. An enzyme turns CO2 into carbonic acid, activating sour taste receptors and pain sensors. This unique dual signal is what your brain interprets as the signature 'bite' of carbonation.