To Be Or Not To Be: Is Diet Soda Now Good for Weight Loss?

It's that old saying?  If you don't like something, wait, and it will change?  Oh, wait.  That's the weather, and Mark Twain.

 But today it now applies to diet soda.  Wasn't it about a month ago that reports came out that diet soda made you, if not, gain weight, then not be able to lose it?  I think I wrote about it. 

As much as I hate to give Fox News the credit, they reported that last year.  

NOW a study says that diet soda will help you lose weight.  What?

According to newswise.com, a new clinical trial says yes, diet sodas do help us lose weight.  

 My head is spinning.

Cbsnews.com notes that the results contradict a number of other recent studies that indicated drinking diet soda may actually cause a person to gain weight.

The new study, published in Obesity,  randomly assigned study participants to one of two groups: those who were allowed to drink diet beverages, such as diet sodas, teas and flavored waters, and those who were in a control group that drank water only. With the exception of beverage options, both groups followed an identical diet and exercise program for the duration of the study. 

CBS reports,"The researchers found people in the diet soda group lost an average of 13 pounds over the 12-week time period, while those who didn't drink diet beverages only lost 9 pounds. This added up to 44 percent more weight loss among the diet soda drinkers than the control group."

Additionally, 64 percent of the diet soda drinkers lost a minimum of 5 percent of their body weight, compared with only 43 percent of the people who didn't drink diet soda. 

The researchers also found people in the diet soda group reported feeling less hungry and showed improvements in serum levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoproteins, or "bad" cholesterol. They also had a significant reduction in serum triglycerides.  

Even better, both groups saw a reduction in waist circumference and blood pressure. 

But I should point out that the study was commissioned by the American Beverage Association.

So what's a person to do? I switched to regular sugar a couple of months ago and I have to say, I do feel better and I have continued to lose weight (as long as I don't go overboard).  So I guess it's up to you.  But I no longer feel as bloated, or have a weird taste in my mouth, like I did when I lived on diet soda.  









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