For Weight Loss Can Low Calorie Light Beverages Help with Diets?

Nutrition experts give new recommendations on diet drinks

Numerous studies have recently shown that sugary soft drinks massively promote the development of obesity and various diseases such as diabetes. But is the change to the light variant the better alternative? US experts recently released an opinion on whether the light versions of calorie bombs are actually better for your health.

American Heart Association (AHA) nutrition experts recently commented on the health risks posed by light drinks, which replaced sugar with sweeteners. The nutritionists recommend, among other things, to replace the "diet drinks" with still or carbonated mineral water. The report was recently published in the journal "Circulation".

Although the American experts in the American Heart Association do not issue clear guidelines on diet drinks, they recommend reducing consumption further and replacing it with mineral water. (Image: Jeka84 / fotolia.com)

Less diet drinks are a good idea

As the AHA Science Council reports, people drink fewer light drinks today than they did a few years ago. This is basically a positive development. For two years, the panel of experts analyzed dozens of studies that revealed associations between calorie-restricted drinks and weight gain, obesity, dementia such as Alzheimer's, strokes, heart disease and other health problems.

No general recommendation

"There is not a great deal of literature - neither observations nor clinical trials," the lead author of the study, Rachel K. Johnson, a professor of nutrition at the University of Vermont, said in a press release on the study's findings. Therefore, general recommendations are not pronounced by health experts. Except one: It always makes sense to drink mineral water instead of diet drinks. Based on the evidence available at the time, this is the best advice the AHA can give, Johnson says.

Light drinks instead of sweetened soft drinks only as a temporary solution

The AHA Science Council explains that many people use diet drinks to substitute heavily sweetened soft drinks such as cola. "This approach can be particularly helpful for people who are used to a sweet-tasting drink and for whom mineral water is, at least initially, not a desirable option," say the scientists in the report.

Overall, the consumption of diet drinks has declined

The researchers also conducted a survey for the report to determine the average consumption of diet drinks per capita. The team noted that consumption is declining. In 2006, adult Americans still drank about 0.2 liters of light drinks a day. According to the AHA, per capita consumption in 2014 was only around 0.1 liters. For children, the consumption is even lower. "It's important to sustain this downtrend," said Alice H. Lichtenstein, vice chair of the research group.

Many speculations about diet drinks?

"We hear a lot about possible negative effects of low-calorie sweeteners, but much of it is speculation," said Lichtenstein. With scientifically founded recommendations one must go after available proofs. The best advice the AHA can currently give is to further reduce consumption and avoid excessive drinking of light drinks.

Diet drinks are suitable for overweight children?

"For short-term weight control diet drinks are suitable for overweight children mediocre," is the consensus of the Science Council. The nutrition experts point out, however, that there are clearly better alternatives - such as mineral water or low-fat and fat-free milk.

An exception is children with diabetes

The report included an exception for children with diabetes. As the authors report, diet drinks and a balanced diet could help to keep blood sugar levels under control.

Help Light Products lose weight?

The German nutrition expert Professor Dr. Matthias Blüher position. Although he was not involved in the American studies, but is head of the Research and Treatment Center for Obesity Diseases of the University of Leipzig. He explains the biggest myths about nutrition and reports that in light products sugar is often replaced by sugar substitutes. This often results in an increased appetite, as the sugar substitutes act on the intestinal bacteria. In many cases, this increased appetite destroys or complicates successful weight loss. (Vb)