Liquid calories make a difference

People who want to cut down on calories might be wise to trade in their regular soft drink or cola for a diet version. Previous studies have found that people fail to compensate for calorie-laden drinks by eating less food than they otherwise would have. And sugary soft drinks aren't the only culprits, as a high calorie beverage also adds to the calories. People looking to cut calories should first keep a record of their diet for a few days, and then see where they can trim beverage calories. This is a good first step because cutting out beverages can be easier than eating less of favourite foods. Water and diet soft drinks are some calorie-free options, but people can also reduce calories by having a small soft drink instead of a large one. Researchers from the Pennsylvania State University did experiments with 18 women and 15 men who had lunch in the research lab once a week for six weeks. Each week, the researchers gave their lunch guests the same food, but the beverage alternated between water, diet soda and regular soda. Each was served in either a 12-ounce or 18-ounce portion. In general, it was found that the diners ate roughly the same amount at each meal, regardless of which drink was served. And the bigger the beverage, the more they drank. When men were given the 18-ounce regular soda, they downed 26 percent more liquid calories than they did when they had the smaller soda. For women, the larger drink increased their liquid calories by 10 percent. According to the researchers, the important question right now in nutrition research is how the body's regulation of liquid calories may differ from that of solid food. Hunger and thirst are controlled by separate mechanisms in the body. In addition, the mindset people have about eating and drinking - drinking to quench their thirst, without thinking of it as a source of calories, for example - may affect their intake.