Can Diet Soda Really Help You Lose Weight? A 2-Year Study Offers Some Surprising Answers

There are a few little luxuries in my life that I simply can’t live without. Chief among them is my Coke Zero. In fact, I’m not fussy; make that any sugar-free soda. I’m not even ashamed to admit it, although I do recognize that these drinks have a bit of a reputation problem.

Diet sodas are often promoted as a simple way to cut calories and sugar, but the artificial sweeteners they contain have also been blamed for everything from triggering cravings and contributing to weight gain to other, potentially more serious health problems. This raises the question of whether these sugar-free drinks are actually helping people make healthier choices or doing more harm than good.

A major new study has brought the debate back into the spotlight, comparing diet drinks with water when it comes to weight management. The researchers described it as “the longest and most comprehensive randomized controlled trial to date examining non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) drinks.” Naturally, with a sugar-free Red Bull in hand, I had to dive in and get to the bottom of it.