All calories are the same whether you eat them or drink them, right? Your brain may not think so. It appears that sipping the calories in sugar-sweetened drinks like soft drinks may be a quicker path to weight gain than chewing them. Here’s why.
Your Body Compensates for Calories You Eat, but Not the Ones You Drink
In a study carried out at Purdue University, researchers supplemented the diets of students with an additional 450 calories of sugar a day. Some of the participants got their extra calories by sipping soda beverages, while others munched on jelly beans.
During the experiment, they made an interesting observation. When the students got their extra calories by eating jelly beans, they unconsciously compensated for the additional calories by eating less later in the day. On the other hand, when they sipped their calories in liquid form, they actually ate MORE calories than expected.
Why would this be? This is an example of calorie compensation, a phenomenon that takes place without your conscious awareness. When you indulge in a slice of chocolate cake or a few chocolate chip cookies, you unconsciously reduce the number of calories you eat at a later meal to compensate for the additional calories you took in. This is your body’s way of keeping you around your set point.
Unfortunately, the same compensation doesn’t take place when you sip calories. It’s as if your body doesn’t register liquid calories the same way it does calories you munch.
Why Don’t the Calories in Beverages Register?
There are a variety of theories to explain the lack of calorie compensation with beverages. When you take in food calories, you chew them. One theory is the chewing process activates satiety hormones that decrease the number of calories you take in later. It’s possible that consuming calories through beverages also triggers a different hormonal response entirely. Beverages are absorbed more rapidly than food, which may play a role.
What Does This Mean?
Cut back on calories in liquid form if you’re trying to lose weight, especially if you’re drinking sugar-sweetened soft drinks that have no nutritional value. It’s important to stay hydrated but do so by drinking calorie-free liquids like water and unsweetened tea. Keep a diary of what you eat and drink for a few days, and you’ll be surprised at how many calories you’re sipping.
What should you drink at the office? Unsweetened green tea is a good option since it’s a natural source of catechins that will give your metabolism a subtle boost. It also has additional health benefits you won’t get from drinking soft drinks. Carbonated soft drinks also are a common cause of bloating, which can make your waistline look larger. Coffee is also a calorie-free beverage if you don’t add cream and sugar. Don’t make the mistake of sipping coffee drinks to stay hydrated. Think of them as dessert, and drink them only on special occasions.
The Bottom Line?
If you’re trying to lose weight, sip calorie-free drinks. Eliminating sugar drinks alone may help you shed a few pounds. Liquid calories count too.
References:
International Journal of Obesity, 2000: 24;794-800.
Physiol. Behav, 1996:59;179-187.
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