Diet sodas, favored by celebrities like Donald Trump and Taylor Swift, are garnering attention for their potential role in weight loss, with recent TikTok videos citing studies suggesting they may outperform water in this regard. These discussions have emerged from research indicating that individuals who consumed two cans of diet soda daily lost double the weight of those who drank water over a year-long period.
Nutritionists acknowledge that reducing calorie intake is beneficial for weight loss, and sugar-free beverages could satisfy sweet cravings, helping to curb the desire for higher-calorie snacks. However, experts caution that diet sodas may not provide a sustainable solution for long-term weight maintenance, as they do not ultimately address sugar cravings, which could lead to regaining weight post-diet.
Dr. Marion Nestle, a prominent nutritionist at NYU Langone, explained, “Weight gain is the result of eating more calories than are expended in metabolism and physical activity. Anything that reduces calorie intake, from any source, should help. Neither water nor diet sodas have calories, but diet sodas have chemical sweeteners that might encourage eating more food.” She further noted that research results regarding diet soda’s impact on weight are mixed, confirming that water’s neutrality is a significant factor to consider.
A past study from 2015 involving 303 overweight or obese adults demonstrated that those assigned to drink two cans of diet soda a day lost an average of 13.7 pounds, while those who drank water lost 5.4 pounds. Researchers attributed the greater weight loss to the sweetened beverages’ ability to mitigate cravings for sugary foods. Nonetheless, the limitations of this study included its population being predominantly regular diet soda drinkers and the short tracking period.
In a follow-up study conducted by Liverpool University nearly a decade later, results echoed this trend, showing diet soda drinkers losing 16.5 pounds, but the findings lacked statistical significance due to the inclusion of occasional diet soda consumers.
Dr. Hector Perez, a bariatric surgeon at Renew Bariatrics, noted that his clinical experience aligns with the data, stating, “Research showing that people using artificially sweetened beverages actually lost more weight than those drinking water surprises people, but it lines up with what I see in practice.” He emphasized that while diet sodas don’t offer a miraculous solution, they keep many patients compliant with their diets and less prone to later binge eating.
Caroline Susie, a dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, praised water as the “gold standard” for hydration, yet recognized that low or no-calorie sweetened drinks could help decrease energy intake when replacing high-calorie options. She remarked, “For people who are trying to reduce sugar but still want flavor, sweetener-infused beverages may help them stay on track and avoid higher-calorie alternatives.”
Despite ongoing debates on diet sodas’ efficacy for weight loss, various studies have raised concerns regarding their long-term health implications, including potential risks associated with artificial sweeteners like aspartame. The World Health Organization has called attention to the limitations of existing research, noting the short duration of many trials.
A meta-analysis from 2022 revealed that sweetener-infused beverages only yield a minor improvement in body weight when compared to water, leading registered dietitian Avery Zenker to caution against the preference for sweet flavors that diet sodas might reinforce. She stated that this could disrupt appetite regulation and emphasized the benefits of water in fostering a natural connection to hunger and thirst cues. Further, there are growing data suggesting artificial sweeteners may negatively impact gut health, which is linked to weight management and obesity.