Energy balance
Replacing sweetened caloric beverages (SCBs) with drinking water significantly reduces total daily energy intake in overweight adults, and this reduction is not negated by compensatory increases in food consumption.
If you currently drink sugary sodas or sweetened juices, try swapping them for plain water. This study shows that doing so can reduce your daily calorie intake by about 200 calories without making you hungrier or causing you to eat more food. This benefit holds true regardless of which specific diet plan (like Atkins or Zone) you are following, as long as you are motivated to lose weight.
Replacing SCBs with drinking water was associated with significant decreases in total energy intake that were sustained over time. The caloric deficit attributable to replacing SCBs with water was not negated by compensatory increases in other food or beverages.
Why this rating
The study uses a robust longitudinal design (12 months) with fixed-effects models controlling for covariates, but it is a secondary analysis of an existing trial rather than a dedicated randomized controlled trial of beverage substitution.
Source
Replacing Sweetened Caloric Beverages with Drinking Water Is Associated with Lower Energy Intake
Jodi Stookey et al. · Obesity · 2007
DOI 10.1038/oby.2007.359
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