Diet Drinks and Weight Loss- Understanding the Connection between Both

Category: Weight Loss |

For most people, diet drinks are the best way to lose weight. They figure simply substituting high calorie sodas with diet drinks is enough to help them drop pounds. However, there exists a more sinister connection between diet drinks and weight loss that a lot of people are not privy to. According to the results of a recent study, diet drinks may actually be bad for you. In fact, they could actually be contributing to weight gain. How’s that for a thought?

Research done by the Purdue University, Indiana shows that drinks containing artificial sweeteners can cause a person to overeat. Why? When you have something sweet, it triggers the body’s oro-sensory stimulus. This signals the body to be prepared for the consumption of a lot of calories, which is associated with sweet foods.

However, when you have diet drinks, the false sweetness of the beverage isn’t accompanied by a calorie overload. This throws a body into confusion causing people to eat more in order to compensate for the drink’s low calorie content. Most of the time, this form of unregulated eating can lead to weight gain and obesity.

Understandably, the findings of this study have thrown people off and they are beginning to re-evaluate the connection between diet drinks and weight loss. Experts are of the opinion that relying completely on diet drinks would be a major mistake. While they can be a part of an overall diet that aims to control calories, depending on weight loss diet drinks like they were an infallible solution could be dangerous. An attempt should be made to control their sugar cravings instead.

The trend becomes even more disturbing when we notice that children who are encouraged to have diet drinks are at a higher risk of obesity. Unable to exercise the same kind of control as adults, they simply take to eating more in order to make up for the calorie deficit. Scientists recommend a well balanced, healthy, and wholesome diet to meet their daily calorie requirements.

Now you know the connection between diet soda and weight loss, let’s look at some of the healthier drinks you can include in your diet without having to worry about whether you are going to put on weight or not.

Milk

The calcium content in milk is beneficial for weight loss, says the 2004 research published in Obesity, the research journal. Calcium causes the body’s metabolism to boost, thereby burning more calories. In addition, it also goes towards regulating the body’s insulin production and keeping it at an optimum level. This prevents the retention of fat in the body, helping you lose weight faster.

Green Tea

Ever wondered why the Chinese are all so thin and svelte. The answer lies in green tea, my friends. Green tea is rich in anti-oxidants that boost your body’s metabolism and speed up its fat-burning mechanism, in some cases by as much as 40%. For best results have a cup of green tea, first thing in the morning, three times a week.

Fruit Smoothies

Wondering why smoothies have made it to this list of weight loss diet drinks? The average smoothies you have in a restaurant are, in fact, sugar intensive and contain a lot of calories. However, smoothies made at home are a lot healthier in contrast and make for an entire meal already. Just remember not to add whipped cream, sugar, ice cream or other forms of sweeteners. Depend on the natural sweetness of fruits to enhance the taste of the drink.