does sugar free drinks help with weight loss? is 0 calories really non fattening?

With the discontinuation of Coke Zero, a new sugar-free cola called Coke Zero Sugar has been launched. You walk into a convenience store, grab a bottle of sugar-free cola from the refrigerated shelf, and its 0 cal/100ml content makes you particularly satisfied. With a “psst~” sound, you open the bottle cap, and “glug, glug~” the cola goes down. You thoroughly enjoy the refreshing sensation brought by the drink while also considering your health—it's simply perfect.

They say it's sugar-free, so why does it still taste sweet?

Humans are naturally sensitive to sweetness, making sweet foods universally loved. However, sweet drinks usually have high sugar content, and excessive sugar intake can lead to obesity, diabetes, and other health risks. Therefore, sugar-free drinks have started to come into our view.

Sugar-free drinks still taste sweet but contain no sugar at all because they use artificial sweeteners. Artificial sweeteners are substances that provide sweetness but are mostly not metabolized by the human body, thus being considered zero-calorie sugars. Representative sweeteners include sucralose, aspartame, and saccharin.

Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sucrose, so 2.4 grams can provide the sweetness of about 500 grams of white sugar, with its caloric contribution being negligible.

Can sugar-free drinks help with weight loss?

Since sugar-free drinks have zero sweetness calories, drinking them won't increase caloric intake. Does this mean they help with weight loss and weight control? Unfortunately, reality is harsh.

Studies have shown,that people who frequently consume artificial sweeteners unknowingly increase abdominal fat and waist circumference.Abdominal and visceral fat increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, and insulin resistance. An increase in waist circumference can lead to metabolic syndrome, raising the risk of hypertension and high blood sugar.

Is moderate consumption of sugar-free drinks safe?

Although sugar-free cola contains no sugar, the sweetness undeniably brings a sense of happiness and pleasure. However, sweetness also stimulates the brain to make you consume more food, leading to extra caloric intake.The body may mistakenly think you've consumed sugar, thus secreting insulin to store fat. Additionally, sweeteners can affect the microorganisms in the digestive tract, impacting digestion and overall health.

There's a saying,Eating sweets doesn't necessarily make you fat, but people who are fat usually like to eat sweets.Take your time to ponder this saying.

Although Coca-Cola aims to make cola healthier, and drinking sugar-free cola might alleviate some guilt, relying on sugar-free drinks for weight loss is wishful thinking. So, it's okay to drink occasionally, but getting active is the right way to lose weight!

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