Artificially-Sweetened Drinks Help Promote Weight Loss, but Water Is Best

Artificial sweeteners may help you lose weight, but water remains the best choice for overall health. Stefania Pelfini la Waziya/Getty Images. A new study reports that replacing sugary beverages with artificially sweetened drinks can help promote weight loss. The findings also indicate that drinking water instead of sugar-laden liquids can promote weight loss. Experts say that overconsumption of foods and beverages with artificial sweeteners can lead to numerous health issues. Researchers report that replacing sugary drinks with artificially sweetened drinks can help people lose weight. Scientists from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Massachusetts also found that replacing sugary beverages with water can lead to weight loss. The researchers stated that their analysis showed that people who replaced sugary drinks with artificially sweetened beverages achieved modest long-term weight loss, particularly among participants with overweight or obesity and had high sugary beverage intake at the onset of the studies. They added that participants who replaced artificially sweetened drinks with water experienced modest long-term weight loss, while those who replaced sugary beverages with water had the highest weight loss. The researchers recently published their findings in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Experts not involved in the study told Healthline that although artificial sweeteners may help with weight loss, they also pose health risks. They said water is a much healthier choice as a substitute for sugar-laden beverages. “Avoiding sweeteners entirely by choosing plain water is the better option,” said Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA. “This avoids the adverse effects of both sugar and artificial sweeteners and is beneficial for weight loss.” “Water provides hydration and is void of additives,” added Kristin Kirkpatrick, RD,