Do diet sweeteners help you lose weight?
The effects of low-calorie sweeteners on energy intake and body weight: a systematic review and meta-analyses of sustained intervention studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Taking sweetener capsules without tasting them didn’t cause weight loss.
Most people assume artificial sweetness disrupts metabolism or cravings—this study proves the taste doesn’t matter. Only calorie replacement does.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one sugary drink per day for a diet version—expect to lose about 0.5–1 lb per month if you keep it up.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Taking sweetener capsules without tasting them didn’t cause weight loss.
Most people assume artificial sweetness disrupts metabolism or cravings—this study proves the taste doesn’t matter. Only calorie replacement does.
Practical Takeaways
Swap one sugary drink per day for a diet version—expect to lose about 0.5–1 lb per month if you keep it up.
Publication
Journal
International Journal of Obesity
Year
2020
Authors
P. Rogers, K. Appleton
Related Content
Claims (6)
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.
If you drink diet soda instead of water or nothing, it won’t help you lose weight or eat less — but if you swap it for sugary drinks, then it might help.
If you swallow sugar-free sweeteners in a pill without tasting them, your weight doesn’t change consistently—so it’s not the sweet taste that affects weight, but rather whether you eat fewer calories overall.
When you use sugar-free sweeteners instead of sugar, the more sugar you replace, the more weight you tend to lose—this suggests that cutting calories by swapping sugar is why you lose weight.
Using sugar substitutes like stevia or aspartame doesn’t make you more likely to have bad health effects than eating sugar, drinking water, or taking a fake pill—so they’re probably safe if you’re trying to lose weight.