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Ingredients in Diet Drinks

Jun 15, 2011 | By Brian Willett
Ingredients in Diet Drinks
Photo Credit drink image by Vinicius Tupinamba from Fotolia.com

Diet drinks come in all different flavors, but many of them contain similar ingredients. Typically, the ingredients in diet drinks are stimulants, which may help increase your metabolic rate, resulting in a higher rate of calorie burn throughout the day. Other ingredients may also help to suppress your appetite or give you more energy, which can be helpful when you're on a reduced-calorie diet. Not all diet drinks are the same, so be sure to check the ingredients carefully. Also, dietary supplements are not monitored for safety by the Food and Drug Administration, so you should consult a doctor before using any supplements.

Caffeine

Caffeine is a common stimulant found in coffee and soda, as well as most diet drinks. Caffeine is included in diet drinks because it gives you energy, which can be helpful when you're eating fewer calories than usual. In addition, caffeine may enhance fat oxidation, or the process through which your body burns fat for energy. Research from M.S. Westerterp-Plantenga published in the April 2010 issue of the journal Physiology & Behavior found that combining green tea extract and caffeine may offer significant increases in calorie burning and fat oxidation.

Green Tea Extract

Green tea extract is often included in diet drinks because of its purported fat loss benefits. Green tea extract contains caffeine, which may increase your energy levels. This herbal ingredient contains antioxidants, which can improve your overall health. Research suggests that green tea extract is particularly beneficial when combined with exercise. A study by T. Ichinose and colleagues from the March 2010 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that consumption of green tea extract may enhance your body's rate of fat oxidation during moderately intense exercise.

Amino Acids

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are used to build muscle and other tissues in your body. Some diet drinks contain amino acids to help you maintain muscle while dieting, and some amino acids may provide you with more energy. Amino acids may also improve your fat distribution during dieting. A study published in the January 1997 issue of the International Journal of Sports Medicine by A. Mourier and colleagues found that amino acid supplementation in conjunction with a caloric deficit produced greater reductions in abdominal fat than a caloric deficit alone.

Evodiamine

Evodiamine is another herbal ingredient that may help you lose weight by influencing your hypothalamus. According to research by J. Shi and colleagues from the January 2009 issue of the journal Brain Research, evodiamine supplementation decreases appetite, resulting in lower food intake and reduced body weight. However, this research was performed in rats and therefore you may not experience the same results.

References

Article reviewed by David Bill Last updated on: Jun 15, 2011

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