Drinking diet sodas makes you eat more, suggests a study

• A new study has established a link between soda consumption and increased consumption of calories and sugar.
• The researchers badyzed data from American children and adolescents and found that caloric intake in general was little different between those who drank sweetened drinks and those who drank artificially sweetened alternatives.
• In fact, the calories saved by the diet soda drinkers were later made up of dietary calories.
• Both groups also consumed more added sugar than young people who drank only water.

The debate has been raging for years on the seriousness of diet sodas and artificially sweetened, low-calorie beverages.

In particular, their usefulness for those looking to lose weight is a contentious issue – while some people say that a drink can not make you fat if it does not contain calories, others say that dietary drinks do so that people ask for more food, and therefore eat more.

A new study has reinforced it: Researchers at George Washington University have concluded that the calories saved when choosing a soda compared to the normal version are offset because they consume more calories in food.

The research, which was conducted on children and adolescents, found that those who drank calorie-free or low-calorie sweetened beverages consumed an additional 200 calories per day compared to those who drank only water.

To reach these conclusions, the researchers badyzed the food data of 7,026 children and adolescents included in the National Health and Nutrition Survey, conducted from 2011 to 2016, where they reported that that they ate and drank for a period of 24 hours.

This allowed researchers to note which youth reported drinking sugary sodas, dietary alternatives, or simply water.

Those who drank diet sodas, sweetened versions or both consumed 196, 312 and 450 calories more respectively than those who drank only water, after adjusting body weight by the researchers.

With regard to sugar consumption, low-calorie soda drinkers, regular drinkers of sweet soda and those who drank both were consuming 14, 39 and 46 calories respectively from added sugar, compared to those who drink alcoholic beverages. ;water.

For diet soda drinkers, who normally contain little or no calories, these calorie counts are primarily food, while for others, the counts include both calories from soft drinks and foods.

Consuming the combination of complete sugar-based and diet sodas has resulted in the greatest overall calorie consumption.

"These results challenge the utility of sugary drinks with a diet or low-calorie sweetened beverages to reduce calories and manage weight," said Allison C. Sylvetsky, Ph.D., author of Study, PhD student, badistant professor of nutrition science and exercise at George Washington University of Milken. Institute of School of Public Health (Milken Institute SPH).

"Our findings suggest that water should be recommended as the best choice for children and adolescents."

With nearly one in three American children clbadified as overweight or obese, the authors of the study hope that their results will provide a better understanding of the link between the consumption of dietary drinks and the consumption of calories, including sugar.

While many health professionals advise people who need to lose weight to switch from regular to diet, this is largely intended to be a stepping stone for water use.

The new research reinforces the findings of a study published in early 2019 that revealed that replacing sugar with artificial sweeteners in non-alcoholic beverages had no effect on weight loss.