Diet drinks with sugar substitutes as effective as water for weight loss

Diet drinks containing sugar substitutes were found to be as effective as water in promoting weight loss in overweight or obese adults, according to a two-year randomized trial.

The study, led by the University of Liverpool, England, included 493 participants aged 18 to 65, all of whom had a body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 35 (overweight or obese).

Half of them received 22.3 ounces of water each day and the other half received the same amount of soda with non-nutritive sweeteners (about two cans) for a period of 104 weeks.

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The group assigned to NNS drinks could choose from a variety of diet sodas, low-calorie fruit drinks, and flavored waters. The main sweeteners used were aspartame, acesulfame potassium and sucralose.

After two years, the people drinking diet drinks had lost about 10.6 pounds, while those drinking water had lost about 8.2 pounds.

Diet drinks containing sugar substitutes were found to be as effective as water in promoting weight loss in overweight or obese adults, according to a two-year randomized trial. (iStock)

People in both groups retained a significant amount of weight for two years, even during the final year when they no longer had regular weight management support, the researchers said.

Both groups lost inches around their waist and hips and reduced body fat, but there was no significant difference between people drinking diet drinks and those drinking water.

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Additionally, total cholesterol remained within the healthy range in both groups.

The results were published in the British Journal of Nutrition.

People in both groups retained a significant amount of weight for two years, even during the final year when they no longer had regular weight management support, the researchers said. (iStock)

“The study doesn’t show that the diet drinks themselves caused the weight loss,” Alix Turoff, a registered dietitian in New York, told Fox News Digital.

“All people in the study were participating in a structured weight management program that included nutrition counseling, behavioral support, and physical activity recommendations.”

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Turoff, who was not involved in the study, noted that the main value of including diet drinks comes down to substitution, “not that these drinks have some magical metabolic effect.”

Notably, the study compared diet drinks with water – rather than sugary drinks – which helped determine whether the sugar substitutes themselves appeared to hinder weight loss efforts.

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“If someone normally drinks 250 calories of regular soda and switches to a zero-calorie soda, then they are saving calories,” she added.

The dietitian stressed that these results do not mean that water and diet soda are nutritionally identical.

Both groups lost inches around their waist and hips and reduced body fat, but there was no significant difference between people drinking diet drinks and those drinking water. (iStock)

“The study did not find significant differences between groups in hunger or sugar consumption at the end of the trial, which is relevant because a common concern is that artificial sweeteners may increase appetite or lead to compensatory eating,” Turoff said.

“I would still recommend water as your primary hydration choice, but I don’t think people should be afraid of diet drinks because they think they will automatically prevent fat loss or cause weight gain.”

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The research had some limitations, including that it was carried out in a single location in England. Data on race and ethnicity were not collected, limiting the generalizability of the results.

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Only 220 of the 493 participants who started treatment completed the 104-week evaluation. The second-year extension was also voluntary, meaning those who continued may have been more motivated or more likely to stick with the program, Turoff noted.

Although the trial was funded by the American Beverage Association, the study authors said the association was not involved in the study design, data analysis, or interpretation of the results.