Make the healthy switch – Replace your sugar-rich soda's with water to cut obesity!

Zee Media Bureau

New York: It's amazing how adopting the most minute changes in our lives can make a world of difference to our health.

Opting for water instead of beverages that contain loads of sugar, for instance? Yes! A study has found that replacing one small calorie-rich sugary soda with water can help reduce body weight considerably, as well as improve overall health.

The findings showed that consuming additional calories from sugary beverages like soda, energy drinks, and sweetened coffee can increase risk of weight gain and obesity, as well as Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

"Regardless of how many servings of sugar-sweetened beverages you consume, replacing even just one serving can be of benefit," said Kiyah J. Duffey from Virginia Tech University, Blacksburg in US.

Swapping one 8-ounce sugar-sweetened beverage with an 8-ounce serving of water could reduce daily calories and the prevalence of obesity in populations that consume sugary beverages.

Even those who consumed more sugary drinks per day could still benefit from water replacement, dropping the amount of calories coming from beverages to less than 25 per cent of their daily caloric intake, the researchers said in the paper published in the journal Nutrients.

Higher calorie drinks, such as sweetened soda and high-fat milk, have been associated with diets rich in red and processed meats, refined grains, sweets, and starch, according to a 2015 review study.

Lower-calorie drinks, such as water and unsweetened coffee and tea, were associated with alternative diets rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and poultry.

(With IANS inputs)