If you are on a diet, you have a few options for drinks that don't contain any calories. Two of the common options include water and diet drinks. Both have their advantages, but water is one of the healthiest beverage options and may help you to lose more weight than diet soda.
Benefits of Diet Drinks
Diet drinks give you the option of drinking a flavored beverage without the calories contained in sugar-sweetened beverages. They can help you stop drinking sugar-sweetened beverages and lose weight, at least in the beginning, if you drink them instead of beverages containing calories.
Benefits of Water
Water has no calories, and no artificial sweeteners. Drinking 16 oz. of water before each meal may even help you to lose weight, according to a study published in the journal "Obesity" in 2010. This helps you fill up your stomach so you don't eat as much, and makes it less likely you'll drink beverages containing a lot of calories.
Disadvantages of Diet Drinks
The artificial sweeteners in diet drinks may lead to weight gain, according to the Harvard University School of Public Health. Your body links the taste of sugar with calories, and when the expected calories don't come with the sweet taste of diet drinks, you may find yourself craving other sweet treats to make up for this. The Mayo Clinic also notes that some studies have linked diet soda consumption to obesity and type 2 diabetes, and recommends diet sodas be considered an occasional treat rather than a daily habit.
Considerations
Some people also overcompensate for calories saved with a diet beverage and eat high-calorie foods that contain more than the calories they save. This can lead to weight gain. If plain water doesn't appeal to you, you can always add a slice of lemon, lime or orange to give it more flavor without adding many calories. Plain tea or coffee are also calorie-free beverage options, and skim milk and 100 percent fruit juice offer nutritional value along with the calories they contain, so these are all healthy beverage options.
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