Energy balance
Substituting low-calorie sweetened (LCS) beverages for sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) is an effective strategy to reduce energy intake and promote weight loss in adults, particularly habitual SSB consumers.
If you drink sugary sodas regularly, switching to diet or zero-sugar versions is a scientifically supported way to cut calories and lose weight. It works best if you use it to replace sugary drinks, not to add on top of them. If you have diabetes, this can help manage blood sugar spikes, but you should still prioritize water when possible.
The use of LCS beverages may be an effective strategy to help control energy intake and promote weight loss... For adults who are habitually high consumers of SSBs, the writing group concluded that LCS beverages may be a useful replacement strategy to reduce intake of SSBs.
Why this rating
Based on short-term RCTs and consistent observational data, though long-term data is limited.
Source
Low-Calorie Sweetened Beverages and Cardiometabolic Health: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association
Rachel K. Johnson et al. · Circulation · 2018
DOI 10.1161/cir.0000000000000569
More from this paper
- Prolonged consumption of LCS beverages is advised against in children due to a lack of long-term safety data and potential adverse effects on taste preferences and metabolic health.Moderate
- Observational studies linking LCS beverage consumption to increased risks of type 2 diabetes, stroke, and dementia are likely confounded by reverse causation and adiposity, rather than indicating a direct causal harm from LCS beverages.Moderate
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