{"id":1397926,"date":"2022-03-24T08:44:47","date_gmt":"2022-03-24T12:44:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1397926"},"modified":"2022-03-24T08:44:50","modified_gmt":"2022-03-24T12:44:50","slug":"sugar-free-drinks-linked-to-weight-loss-lower-diabetes-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sugar-free-drinks-linked-to-weight-loss-lower-diabetes-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Sugar Free Drinks Linked to Weight Loss, Lower Diabetes Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsugar-free-drinks-linked-to-weight-loss-lower-diabetes-risk%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1397926&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><div><\/div>\n<p>If you drink diet soda or add a little Equal to your coffee as a way to cut down on added sugar, here\u2019s some good news: Drinking no- or low-calorie beverages instead of sugar-sweetened drinks was linked with small decreases in weight, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/diet-nutrition\/bmi\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">BMI<\/a>, and diabetes risk in a new meta-analysis published on March 14 in <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2790045\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Participants who consumed low and no-calorie beverages saw positive effects similar to those researchers would expect from water, says <a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/profile\/Tauseef-Khan-7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Tauseef Ahmad Khan, MBBS, PhD<\/a>, a researcher at the University of Toronto department of nutritional sciences and a coauthor of the study.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIdeally, you would replace sugary beverages with water as much as possible, but our findings show that people have another choice \u2014 a low-calorie or no-calorie beverage is a good option as well,\u201d says Dr. Khan.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>America\u2019s Sugar Habit Is Fueled by Sweetened Drinks<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The average American consumes 22 teaspoons (tsp) of added sugar a day, which translates into about 350 calories, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/nutritionsource\/carbohydrates\/added-sugar-in-the-diet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health<\/a>. One tsp of sugar is equal to 4 grams (g) of sugar.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"ad-wrapper ad-wrapper--audience ad-container inline-widget inline-widget--right-rail _hold-size\"><\/aside>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart.org\/en\/healthy-living\/healthy-eating\/eat-smart\/sugar\/added-sugars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">American Heart Association (AHA)<\/a> recommends that people cut back on added sugar to help reduce the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/heart-disease\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">risk of heart disease<\/a> and obesity by limiting daily intake to about 6 tsp or 24 g of sugar for women and 9 tsp or 36 g of sugar for men.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s a sampling of how much sugar is found in a 12 ounce (oz) serving of some popular drinks, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hsph.harvard.edu\/nutritionsource\/healthy-drinks\/sugary-drinks\/how-sweet-is-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Coca-Cola Classic, 41 g or 10 tsp of sugar<\/li>\n<li>Minute Maid Orange Juice, 41 g or 10 tsp of sugar<\/li>\n<li>Gatorade G Orange, 22 g, 5 tsp of sugar<\/li>\n<li>Starbucks Frappuccino, 40.5 g, 10 tsp of sugar<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>Previous Research on Sweeteners Used in Low and No-Calorie Drinks Had Mixed Results<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>The overall effects of nonnutritive sweeteners (NNSs) \u2014 the scientific name for sweeteners such as aspartame, stevia, and sucralose \u2014 on metabolism and weight is unclear. Although artificially sweetened beverages may help save on calories, experts have been divided on whether they may cause unintended negative effects on metabolism and even impede weight loss efforts.<\/p>\n<p>A study published in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/nature13793.epdf?sharing_token=U5Pf4L3QoFL6eBDom3EHZNRgN0jAjWel9jnR3ZoTv0PJBHRy3u1_1jRhiJ-JNTh-e5Sz2y_ACU2FudnlE6M25cpdkoiTgoDjm22vBxKPoISfkJAPe7I52FrWriQsV11_Hnon0Rxe3M4GswDHvyVQv8UOa9d2-fJzgG7jgFMKKeeg_7vXBaYIOZwXzJTNvJuuNdxyi2WuSs017oVNv2oJkEIGQRJhMUSHHJlEZFLROJ0%3D&#038;tracking_referrer=www.medscape.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Nature<\/em><\/a>\u00a0found that artificial sweeteners induced glucose intolerance and weight gain in mice. Glucose intolerance increases the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/diabetes\/guide\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">risk of diabetes<\/a> and cardiovascular disease, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/books\/NBK499910\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">StatPearls<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s also been found that drinks containing sucralose (which goes by the brand name Splenda) may increase food cravings and appetite in women and people with obesity, according to a study published in <a href=\"https:\/\/jamanetwork.com\/journals\/jamanetworkopen\/fullarticle\/2784545\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>JAMA Network Open<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in\u00a0September 2021.<\/p>\n<p>Some observational studies have suggested that the use of NNSs, such as sucralose and aspartame, is associated with higher body weight and type 2 diabetes, according to a review published in <a href=\"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/oby.22139\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><em>Obesity<\/em><\/a>\u00a0in March 2018.\u00a0Because those studies were not interventions \u2014 researchers simply observed and compared what people were already doing, it\u2019s unclear whether the alternative sweeteners were actually contributing to those issues or if people were drinking low calorie drinks in response to already having overweight or diabetes.<\/p>\n<p>But the same review found that when researchers looked at prospective randomized controlled trials, NNSs actually helped with weight loss, especially when used with behavioral weight loss support.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Analysis Found That<\/strong> <strong>Switching to Low-Calorie Drinks Was Linked to Weight Loss <\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>\u201cBecause health experts and organizations have been instructing people to reduce their consumption of sugary drinks, we wanted to find out if people who want to switch from sugar-sweetened beverages to water or low-calorie sweetened beverages would see any benefit,\u201d explains Khan.<\/p>\n<p>Researchers analyzed 17 randomized trials that investigated how drinking water, no or low-calorie drinks, or sugar-sweetened drinks impacted body weight, other measures of fat, and cardiometabolic risk. The trials included a total of 1,733 adults with overweight or obesity who were at risk for or already had diabetes. Participants were 77.4 percent women and 22.6 percent men, with an average age of 33.<\/p>\n<p>The included studies lasted anywhere from just three weeks to a year, with the average trial lasting 12 weeks.<\/p>\n<p>The effects were modest, but overall beneficial, according to the findings. On average, switching to the sugar-free drinks reduced body weight by about 2 pounds (lb), lowered BMI by .2 points, and reduced body fat by about half a percent.<\/p>\n<p>Water or alternatively sweetened drinks were also linked to a reduction in intrahepatocellular lipid (IHL). IHL accumulation (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/liver-disease\/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">nonalcoholic fatty liver disease<\/a>) is associated with cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.niddk.nih.gov\/health-information\/liver-disease\/nafld-nash\/definition-facts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur analysis is unique in that in addition to comparing sugary drinks to alternatively sweetened drinks, we also included water in our study. We found the benefits of switching from sugary drinks to either no- or low-calorie beverages or water were very similar,\u201d says Khan.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Long-Term Impacts of Alternatively Sweetened Drinks Still Largely Unknown<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are a few limitations to the findings, he says. \u201cOur analysis grouped all no- and low-calorie sweetened drinks together \u2014 it didn\u2019t separate and compare according to what was used to sweeten them,\u201d says Khan.<\/p>\n<p>For example, if you are wondering about the difference between drinking Diet Coke (which uses aspartame as its sweetening agent) or Coke Zero (which uses both aspartame and acesulfame <a href=\"https:\/\/www.everydayhealth.com\/pictures\/foods-high-in-potassium\/\" data-gd-wrapped=\"\">potassium<\/a>), these findings won\u2019t help you figure that out, he says.<\/p>\n<p>Any questions about long-term impact \u2014 positive or negative \u2014 of drinking no- or low-calorie drinks are still unanswered, says Khan. \u201cThe longest study included in our analysis lasted one year, and so further study is needed to look at what the health impacts might be 5 or 10 years down the line,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>If you drink diet soda or add a little Equal to your coffee as a way to cut down on added sugar, here\u2019s some good news: Drinking no- or low-calorie<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":505,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1397926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/505"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1397926"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1397926\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1397926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1397926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1397926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}