Like many Internet users, we here at Sip & Savor are turning to websites and blogs to get information – whether it is about pop culture or dieting tips.  But how much can we actually trust these sources of information?  We read recently a column in the Health Section of U.S. News & World Report written by Julie Upton, MS, RD.  Upton’s column clears up a few popular Internet myths, including this brief excerpt on diet beverages:

Myth: Diet Beverages Don’t Aid Weight Loss

Fact: While some observational studies have reported that people who drink diet beverages are more likely to be overweight, those types of studies only show associations and can’t prove that diet beverages cause weight gain. Obesity researchers suggest results from observational studies need to consider that people who are overweight use more “diet” foods and beverages to help them lose weight, compared to normal-weight individuals.

Results from two human clinical trials (which are considered the gold-standard for quality research and can be used to show cause-and-effect relationships) show weight loss benefits of diet beverages. In a 12-week study published in the journal Obesity, subjects who drank diet beverages lost, on average, 13 pounds, compared to 9 pounds lost among the water-only drinkers. The researchers also found that the diet beverage drinkers reported feeling less hungry, despite both groups following the same calorie-controlled diet regimen. Another study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found subjects who drank diet soda or water were more than twice as likely to lose more than 5 percent of their body weight in a six-month study. So, if you’re trying to cut calories to lose weight, and you want to enjoy a diet beverage, you don’t have to worry that it will derail your efforts.

Check out the full article by clicking here.