Diet Drinks May Be Just as Effective as Water for Weight Loss, Offering an Alternative to Sugar‑Sweetened Drinks
Learn how the longest clinical trial of its kind found people who drank non-nutritive sweetened beverages lost as much wight over two years as those who drank water.
Obesity has become a significant global health concern, and excessive consumption of sugary drinks has been identified as a key factor in weight gain and increased risk of metabolic diseases. Dietary guidelines often suggest opting for water or drinks sweetened with non-caloric sweeteners to reduce sugar intake and support weight loss, although not all recommendations endorse non-nutritive sweeteners.
The University of Liverpool conducted the most extensive randomized controlled trial on non-caloric sweetened beverages to offer better clarity for informed decisions. Their study, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, showed that non-nutritive drinks containing aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose were comparable to water in long-term weight management.
The trial, known as "effectS of non-nutritive sweetened beverages on appetITe during aCtive weigHt loss" (SWITCH), aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of non-nutritive beverages in reducing sugar consumption and their impact on appetite during a weight loss program. The researchers followed nearly 500 adults with overweight or obesity for two years, randomly assigning them to consume either water or common diet beverages.
The findings revealed that both groups lost similar amounts of weight, with reduced waist and hip circumferences, and improved several metabolic biomarkers. There were no significant differences in blood pressure and cholesterol levels between the groups, and overall sugar intake decreased in both groups, with a slight decrease in the non-nutritive sweetened beverage group.
The authors concluded that the long-term results of the SWITCH trial provide additional evidence to inform future guidelines, as the World Health Organization currently advises against non-sugar sweeteners for weight control or reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases. Despite being funded by the American Beverage Association, the research team emphasized that the study was conducted independently and without input from the funder.
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