While many of us opt for sparkling water with our meals as a healthier alternative to fizzy drink, but a jazzier version of plain old h2o – we might want to rethink our drink choice if losing weight is a goal.
New research published in the academic journal [Obesity Research & Clinical Practice] has found that sparkling water could actually be causing you to eat way more during the day.
The study was done in order to see if it was the “fizzy” part of fizzy drinks, instead of just the sugar, that could be linked to weight gain.
After testing four different types of drinks including carbonated soda, diet carbonated soda, flat soda, and tap water – the research found that participants ate more and gained weight after drinking carbonated beverages including fizzy water, than if they had flat water or flat fizzy drink.
The findings suggest that the carbon dioxide—aka the molecule responsible for those fizzy and refreshing bubbles—actually triggers the release of hunger hormones in your body. As a result, the more carbonated water you drink, the more likely you are to overeat and gain weight.
So far, the research has only been tested on rats and men – so it’s not fact yet, but in the meantime it might be better to stick to plain water if you’re trying to cut calories.
