The results of a recent weight loss study won't fall flat with diet soda lovers.
A study from researchers at the University of Liverpool published in August found that diet drinks – like diet colas and diet carbonated soft drinks – are equivalent to water in supporting weight loss and long‑term weight maintenance.
The researchers followed nearly 500 overweight or obese adults over almost two years in England.
Participants were randomly selected to consume either water or non-nutritive sweetened soft drinks daily. The results showed no significant differences in weight loss or weight maintenance between those who drank water daily or those who drank soft drinks daily.
Non-nutritive sweeteners are low- or no-calorie alternatives to sugar – like aspartame,
acesulfame potassium and sucralose – used to sweeten foods and drinks.
Despite the findings that the diet sodas may not impact the scale, there are still some drawbacks to consuming artificial sweeteners.
Here's a look at the study.
Study disputes idea that diet sodas cause weight gain
Those in the study selected to drink non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) soft drinks could drink diet colas, diet carbonated soft drinks, diet fruit drinks and diet fruit-flavored sweetened waters.
They could also consume water, but they had to consume at least two 33 milliliter servings of the eligible drinks per day.
Those in the study selected to drink water were asked to abstain from drinking any of the NNS drinks.
Overall, the results found a nonsignificant difference in weight loss between the people in the two groups. Both groups also had sustained weight reduction and decreases in waist and hip circumference.
"These latest findings show that concerns about sweeteners disrupting appetite or causing weight gain are not supported when tested in a rigorous, long-term randomized trial," one of the researchers, professor Joanne Harrold, said in a statement.
The research was funded by the American Beverage Association, but the research team was independent of the funder and had full control over the analysis and reporting of their findings.
Diet drinks still have health risks
Still, diet drinks like diet sodas still carry health risks, research shows.
For example, research published in "Neurology," the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, in July found an association between consuming higher amounts of certain low- and no-calorie sweeteners and accelerated cognitive decline. Researchers noted that the findings did not prove the sweeteners directly caused the decline.
Another study from 2025 found that even moderate amounts of artificially sweetened and sugary drinks are associated with an increased risk of liver disease.
Additional research on diet soda shows it can be associated with weight gain, increased insulin and blood glucose levels, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Diet sodas can also wear away tooth enamel and worsen heartburn, per Hartford HealthCare.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Want weight loss? Drinking diet soda is the same as water, study finds
