Why diet low-calorie drinks don't help with weight loss and lead to excess weight

How do diet drinks lead to weight gain? What are their dangers?

Let’s find out together with nutritionists.

Switching to diet drinks will save you from remorse, but not from excess weight. Low-calorie analogs are not as harmless as many people think. The lack of benefits of drinks labeled Light or Zero is supported by scientific facts – read about them below.

Nutritionist and founder of GetVegetable, a nutrition delivery service.

If you’re losing weight, pay closer attention not only to the food you eat, but also to the beverages you drink.

What do scientists say?

Switching from sugary sodas to healthier counterparts may seem like an obvious first step on the road to slimness – but it’s not. Although diet drinks are the lesser of evils, they do more harm than good. That’s the conclusion scientists have come to. According to them, drinks containing artificial sweeteners increase food cravings, whet appetites and are addictive – especially in overweight people. Sure, sweeteners are a far cry from sugar, but our brains still like them. And although researchers have not yet found a definite answer, we can already say for sure that even diet drinks contribute to weight gain and lead to metabolic disorders.

American scientists conducted an experiment and proved that low-calorie sodas negatively affect human metabolism. The study involved 74 volunteers, each of whom drank 300 ml of a diet drink with artificial sweeteners: sucralose and sucralose. All participants were allowed to help themselves to high-calorie snacks. Scientists monitored the condition of the test subjects and measured glucose and insulin levels in the body after two hours. And this is what they found: in overweight people hormones responsible for cravings for food were elevated.

At the same time, the level of other hormones that signal satiety, decreased. That’s not all: scientists noticed that after drinking diet drinks, all participants ate a considerable amount of snacks. It turns out that healthier analogs do not suppress hunger at all, and lead to the opposite effect – overeating. During the experiment, the caloric content of the participants’ diet increased by as much as 500 kcal. The conclusion here is self-evident: switching to diet drinks does not lead to the desired effect. So is the game worth the candle?

Nutriciologist, founder of the “School of Dietitians”

It is often the case that sugar in the composition of drinks is the safest ingredient, especially against the background of harmful additives. For example, fructose-based juices have the same energy value as sucrose-based products. So don’t be fooled by the claim that fructose is healthier than sugar.

The sugar substitute is completely processed in the liver (without insulin) – other cells in the body are unable to metabolize fructose directly. Because of this and other biochemical processes, there is an active synthesis of fatty acids. Also fructose can be the cause of metabolic syndrome. People in this case rapidly gain weight, from which it is almost impossible to get rid of without treatment.

This is what is the harm of popular diet drinks.

Protein shakes and smoothies
Elena: Both of these drinks belong to the category of useful, but not in terms of calories. In the hope of losing weight, many people drink a protein shake after a workout, replacing dinner in most cases. But a serving of a protein drink of about 400 ml contains 400 kcal. And a smoothie of the same volume contains almost 14 spoons of sugar. So contrary to public opinion, these drinks will not help you lose weight.

Fresh juices
That freshly squeezed juice helps you lose weight is a myth. It is just the opposite. A 400 ml serving of apple, pear and peach juice contains about 12 spoons of sugar, orange juice – 10, cherry juice – eight, carrot juice – five. At the same time, one of the main rules when losing weight is to refuse sugar. Therefore, those who lose weight, it is better to drink fresh juices from spinach, celery, cucumbers, lemon and ginger.

Diet sodas
There is a direct correlation between drinking diet carbonated drinks and weight gain. Dietary it is only called, in reality, on the contrary, it promotes weight gain.

Elena: People who abuse such drinks are prone to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and high blood pressure. The fact is that diet sodas contain chemical sweeteners, which are more harmful than sugar. The label “diet” is just advertising and a good opportunity to justify your choice in favor of a “healthy” diet.