Sugar-free drinks can aid weight loss

Many people who consume sugar-free drinks, give the impression they would like to lose weight but only go as far as choosing a sugar-free drink rather than a full sugar one.

However, you may be surprised that a recent study has shown that the consumption of sugar-free drinks sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners actually increase dietary restraint, which is a key aspect of losing and keeping down weight.

Published in the international Journal of Obesity, the study looked into calories, protein, carbohydrates and fat in beverages and the dietary restraint of over 300 people. It was concluded that drinking artificially sweetened drinks “may be an important weight control strategy” among those who manage to maintain their weight loss.

“Weight loss maintainers use more dietary strategies to accomplish their weight loss maintenance including greater restriction of fat intake, use of fat and sugar modified foods, reduced consumption of caloric beverages and increased consumption of artificially sweetened beverages”, the study found.

An earlier report also showed similar findings which stated that people lost much more weight consuming artificially sweetened foods that those who did not.

The earlier study was conducted by Dr Adam Drewnowski and he said “Low-calorie sweeteners and reduced-calorie products are not magic bullets, which means using these products will not result in automatic weight loss. Instead, people looking to lose or maintain weight, can use low-calorie sweeteners in addition to other tools (such as portion control, exercise) to help manage their calories”.

Do you always opt for sugar-free drinks in an attempt to lose weight?