Weight Loss and Zero Calorie Drinks

Zero Calorie Drink

I am often asked if zero calorie drinks are a good option when trying to lose weight naturally. In our Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky clinics we advise our clients to avoid drinks that contain artificial sweeteners. These drinks may be listed at zero calories, which is great, but also may contain ingredients such as aspartame or sucralose. Both of these ingredients have been linked to weight gain in clinical research. Examples of these products include diet soda, zero calorie sports drinks or artificially sweetened water. The rule of thumb in our clinic is if it contains sucralose or aspartame – don’t drink it.

So what is the alternative? Can we only drink plain water when attempting to lose weight? The answer is “no”. While plain water is best there are other useful alternatives to keep you from getting bored. You could try iced tea sweetened with stevia or Zevia soda (which I have previously reviewed). The bottom line is that just because it is zero calories does not make it healthy.