But what about the artificial sweeteners? What about the chemicals?
There are many calorie free or low calorie sweeteners on the market now as a way of replacing sugar or calorie dense sweet ingredients.
Common examples are:
Aspartame
Saccharin
Acesulfame-K
Sucralose
There are also sugar-free sweeteners or sugar alcohols known as polyols that occur naturally in plants but can also be produced commercially.
These include sorbitol, xylitol and more.
Their main purpose is to reduce the calorie content of beverages and other sweet treats to help control energy intake and assist in weight loss.
They are 200-13,000 times sweeter than sugar so minimal amounts are needed to create that sweet taste and potentially satisfy a craving or desire whilst also helping reduce caloric intake.
There also seems to be a myth circulating that they are worse than sugar itself.
Studies have been done to refute this idea in both weight loss and health aspects.
So what do the studies say about artificial sweeteners?
Replacing caloric sweetened beverages with low calorie sweetener alternatives reduced BMI, Fat Mass and Waist Circumference
There was no consistent evidence that intense sweeteners cause insulin release or lower blood sugar in healthy individuals
For weight loss, replacing caloric foods/drinks with low calorie sweetener alternatives works. No strong evidence for the effects of sweeteners on health
Using foods and drinks sweetened with aspartame instead of those sweetened with sucrose is an effective way to maintain and lose weight without reducing the palatability of the diet.
It can be a way to implement a small change in an individual's diet that has a significant impact.
Example. Replacing 2 cans of full sugar coke 362 calories) to 2 cans of coke zero drops their calories by 360 calorie, helping with their energy intake and helping them move towards a calorie deficit needed for weight loss.
Adding sugar free cordial may also be an extremely low calorie strategy to encourage and increase water consumption whilst also satisfying a craving for a sugar sweetened beverage.
Safe limits of diet soft drink consumption are up towards 15 cans per day.
*An issue to note may be on the sugar alcohols effects on an individual perhaps causing gastric distress but that is not common across all consumption.
So next time you craving a sweet carbonated beverage or feel like adding some artificial sweetener to your coffee, don’t be scared. At the moment there is no research to suggest it is worse for your health or body composition than sugar or full sugar beverages.
If you would like to learn more about nutrition and debunk some common myths in the process, reach out to us today.