The Study
The effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on energy and macronutrients intake in adults: a grade-assessed systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials
This study looked at lots of experiments where adults swapped sugar for fake sweeteners and found that, on average, they ate fewer calories and carbs — but only when compared to sugar. It doesn’t prove fake sweeteners make you eat less if you drink water instead.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether artificial sweeteners help people eat fewer calories than sugar — and found they do, but only if you swap them in for sugar, not for water.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 565 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — cutting 175 calories daily can lead to gradual weight loss over time, especially if sustained.
- 2When people used artificial sweeteners instead of sugar: they ate 175 calories less per day and cut carbs by a moderate amount.
- 3When they used sweeteners instead of water: no change in calories or carbs.
- 4Fat and protein intake didn’t change at all.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Frontiers in Nutrition
Year
2024
Authors
K. Rostampour, Fatemeh Moghtaderi, Amirhossein Najafi, Behnaz Seyedjafari, Amin Salehi-Abargouei
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you swap sugary foods and drinks for ones with artificial sweeteners, your body might burn more calories than you take in, causing you to lose fat and feel healthier in ways that matter for your heart and metabolism.
If you swap out sugary drinks and snacks for ones with artificial sweeteners, you might eat about 175 fewer calories a day, which could help you manage your weight.
If you swap sugar with sugar-free sweeteners, you’ll likely eat fewer carbs overall—mainly because you’re eating less sugar—and that might help your body manage blood sugar better.
Drinking diet soda instead of water doesn’t make you eat fewer calories — it only helps cut calories if you’re swapping it for sugary drinks instead.
Using sugar-free sweeteners doesn’t make you eat more fat or protein than if you used regular sugar or just drank water—so their main job is just to cut down carbs and calories.
If you swap sugar for artificial sweeteners, you’ll eat less sugar—by a lot—but if you drink water instead, you get the same low sugar intake, so the sweeteners don’t help any more than water does.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.