A new study, published in the journal Obesity, compared the effectiveness of water versus diet drinks for weight loss. During a 12-week program, men and women were given the same diet, with the only difference in their beverage choice. One group drank water and the other drank non-nutritive sweetened (NNS) beverages, commonly known as diet drinks.

The study team noted that beverage consumption recommendations consider water the gold standard for optimal health. NNS beverages are certainly preferable to drinks with calories, but they have not been evaluated for assistance in weight loss. In the end, the diet drink group lost over 14 pounds and the water group lost about 10 pounds.

The conclusion that diet drinks are better for weight loss is a dubious one. Blisstree argues that this study does not prove that diet drinks actually help with weight loss. Additionally, the amount of water consumed was only 24 ounces per day, which may not be sufficient. Without further evaluation, the article notes that people should stick to the well-supported consumption of water.

NPR shares the skepticism, pointing out that this study was funded by the beverage industry. While the research team assures that their results were independent, NPR notes that industry-funded research is often more likely to be beneficial for the industry.