ATLANTA (February 8, 2013) — A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who switched to diet beverages consumed less calories and had better diets than those who did not.
The study, “Does diet-beverage intake affect dietary consumption patterns? Results from the Choose Healthy Options Consciously Everyday (CHOICE) randomized clinical trial” examined the effects of diet beverages (DB) on dietary intake patterns, food choices, and consumption of sweet products. Participants were randomly placed in groups, either replacing two sugar-sweetened beverages with two diet beverages or water. Participants included 318 men and women between 18-65 years of age who were overweight or obese from the CHOICE randomized clinical trial.
Here is what the researchers found:
According to Theresa Hedrick, a dietitian with the Calorie Control Council, this study is good news for people looking for simple, easy and effective ways to reduce calories and lose weight. “Diet beverages can allow people to still have the drinks they love while cutting calories at the same time. And, as this study shows, that reduction in calories can lead to weight loss without any downsides.”