If you love your sugar-sweetened sodas, teas, coffees, or fruit drinks, a recent analysis found replacing sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with low- and no-calorie sweetened beverages (LNCSBs) was associated with some health benefits for adults with excess body fat who are at risk for type 2 diabetes.
In the 17 randomized controlled trials reviewed, substituting LNCSBs for SSBs was associated with small decreases in body weight, body mass index, and percentage body fat, and an improvement in indicators of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
While drinking beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners or natural non-caloric sugar substitutes (like stevia) may be better for cardiometabolic health than SSBs, water, milk, fortified soy beverage, and unsweetened tea and coffee are the best beverage choices. LNCSBs can be a step along the path to weaning oneself off sweet drinks.