Artificially sweetened beverages, also known as zero-calorie artificially sweetened beverages or non-nutritive sweetened beverages, can play a beneficial role in weight management strategies, both for losing weight and for maintaining weight after initial loss.
Here's a breakdown of their role based on the sources:
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Challenging Misconceptions: There are common beliefs that artificially sweetened beverages trigger cravings, lead to overeating, or are worse than full-sugar versions. However, the evidence suggests these are misconceptions, and they do not increase cravings, disrupt metabolism, or sabotage weight loss progress.
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Aiding Weight Loss and Maintenance:
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Research by Peters et al (2016) showed that participants who consumed diet beverages after a 12-week weight loss program lost significantly more weight (6.2 kg over a year) compared to those who drank only water (2.5 kg), a difference that was both statistically and clinically significant (3.7 kg).
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A larger study by Harrold et al (2023) similarly found that the diet beverage group lost more weight (7.5 kg) than the water group (6.1 kg), a statistically significant difference of 1.4 kg.
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Enhancing Adherence and Satisfaction: Across both studies, individuals in the diet beverage groups reported lower hunger, higher satisfaction, and greater adherence to their weight management programs. This suggests that including these beverages can make it easier for individuals to stick to their dietary plans.
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Safety and Health Improvements: Both studies monitored various cardiometabolic markers, including blood pressure, blood lipids, and fasting glucose. No adverse effects were associated with the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages, and both groups (diet beverage and water) showed improvements in health over time, consistent with the observed weight loss.
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A Practical Tool in a Structured Diet: While the findings do not suggest artificially sweetened beverages are inherently superior to water in a general sense, they do imply that they can be an effective and practical tool for supporting weight control within the context of a well-structured diet. If you enjoy them, you can feel comfortable including them during your weight-loss phase or for weight maintenance.
Do diet drinks cause adverse health effects?

Based on the sources provided, there were no adverse effects associated with the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages reported in the studies discussed.
Specifically:
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In the studies by Peters et al. (2016) and Harrold et al. (2023), which investigated the role of diet beverages in weight management after initial weight loss, both groups (diet beverage and water) showed improvements in health over time, consistent with the observed weight loss.
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These studies monitored various cardiometabolic markers, including blood pressure, blood lipids, and fasting glucose, and found no adverse effects linked to the consumption of artificially sweetened beverages.
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Furthermore, the evidence suggests that artificially sweetened beverages won’t increase cravings, disrupt your metabolism, or sabotage your progress in weight management.