University of Liverpool study finds diet drinks match water for weight loss

A two-year study conducted by researchers at the University of Liverpool suggests that adults consuming diet beverages with low- or no-calorie sweeteners achieved similar long-term weight loss results compared to those drinking water.

As part of the SWITCH trial, 493 overweight or obese adults were randomly assigned to either a water group or a diet beverage group containing sweeteners such as aspartame, acesulfame-K, and sucralose. Both groups received behavioral support for weight management. After two years, the diet beverage group lost an average of 4.8 kilograms (approximately 10.6 pounds), while the water group lost an average of 3.7 kilograms (approximately 8.2 pounds). Researchers noted the difference was statistically insignificant.

Participants in both groups showed improvements in waist and hip measurements, body composition, and metabolic health. The study found no clinically meaningful differences in blood pressure or cholesterol between the two groups. The findings, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, suggest that the tested diet beverages did not disrupt appetite or weight control more than water.