50 Food & Nutrition Myths You Need to Stop Believing

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20) Sugar-Free Soft Drinks Help With Weight Loss

Sugar-free beverages, such as Coke Zero Sugar and Pepsi Max do have fewer calories than their original-recipe counterparts, but don't let that fool you into believing they're beneficial for weight loss. For one, studies have found that zero-sugar sodas may stimulate appetite if consumed regularly, especially due to the artificial sweeteners. Also, people who drink diet or zero-calorie soft drinks may justify eating more food by the calories they "save," thereby cancelling out the main benefit (which is to consume fewer overall calories).