University of Liverpool Study Finds Non-Nutritive Sweetened Beverages Equivalent to Water for Long-Term Weight Management
Researchers at the University of Liverpool have completed the longest and most comprehensive randomized controlled trial on non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) soft drinks. The 104-week clinical trial, published in the British Journal of Nutrition, indicates that NNS beverages are equivalent to water for long-term weight management. The study, funded by the American Beverage Association, involved 493 adults who were overweight or obese and participated in a structured behavioral weight management program. Participants were randomized to consume either water or commercially available diet beverages daily, with sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame potassium, and sucralose provided within established European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) safety thresholds. Key findings include equivalent weight loss between NNS beverage and water groups at 104 weeks, sustained weight reduction over two years, and improvements in waist and hip circumference, body composition, and several metabolic biomarkers in both groups. The stu...
