The debate over the benefits and possible harms of diet drinks has been going on for years. Scientists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Leeds set out to determine whether drinks with low-calorie sweeteners are inferior to plain water when it comes to losing weight. A new large study has shown they may help control weight just as well as water, according to infohub.kz.
The study involved 493 adults who were overweight or obese. All of them took part in a behavioral weight-control program. Participants were randomly divided into two groups: one was asked to drink water daily, the other to drink diet beverages with low-calorie sweeteners. The drinks contained aspartame, acesulfame-K or sucralose.
Participants were followed for 104 weeks, or two years. Sweetener intake remained within the acceptable levels set by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
After two years, participants in both groups had lost weight. In the diet-drink group, average weight loss was 4.8 kg, compared with 3.7 kg in the water group. The difference between the groups was not statistically significant, meaning the researchers could not claim that one option was more effective than the other.
Weight loss was maintained throughout the study, including in the final year, when participants were no longer receiving additional support under the program. People in both groups also saw reductions in waist and hip circumference, along with improvements in body composition and some metabolic measures.
Sugar consumption fell among participants in both groups. In the diet-drink group, the reduction was slightly more pronounced.
One question the scientists wanted to test was whether artificial sweeteners make people eat more because the body senses a sweet taste without a significant number of calories. However, over two years the researchers found no confirmation of this.
The results therefore suggest that for people trying to lose weight but accustomed to drinking sweet beverages, their diet versions may be a reasonable alternative.
It is worth noting that the study was funded by the American Beverage Association, an industry organization. However, the authors stated that the scientists worked independently of the funder and controlled the analysis and publication of the results themselves.
The results do not mean that diet drinks can be considered completely safe for health or that they can replace water. The study assessed specific measures. It does not rule out a possible effect of sweeteners on other processes in the body.
In addition, the study examined specific sweeteners — aspartame, acesulfame-K and sucralose. The conclusions cannot automatically be extended to all products containing sugar substitutes.
Earlier, Kursiv Health spoke with endocrinologist Saina Olesova about lipolytics: why they do not help with weight loss, what complications are possible and in which cases it is better to avoid the procedure.