If you swap sugary foods and drinks for ones with artificial sweeteners, you might lose about 1 kg and eat fewer calories—especially if you cut out a lot of sugar. But this only works if you’re replacing sugar, not just adding sweeteners on top.

53

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

53

Community contributions welcome

53

The effects of low-calorie sweeteners on energy intake and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analyses of sustained intervention studies

Systematic Review With Meta-Analysis

Human

2021 Mar

This study found that when people swap sugary foods and drinks for ones with low-calorie sweeteners, they tend to lose a little weight—about 2.3 pounds—especially if they cut out a lot of sugar. But if they just drink diet soda without cutting sugar, they don’t lose weight. So, the sweeteners only help when they replace real sugar.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

The effects of low-calorie sweeteners on energy intake and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analyses of sustained intervention studies

Score: 53

DOI: 10.1038/s41366-020-00704-2

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