Whether you are a lover of Coca, Fanta or Ice Tea Light, these drinks all have one point in common: they stimulate your appetite and push you to snack more. Julie Boët, dietician-nutritionist, tells us more about these effects.
Light drinks: taste and bubbles without calories
On a daily basis, the “light” drinks achieves the feat of providing few calories while retaining the aromatic structure, the sweet taste and the bubbles of the sodas that characterize them. They therefore seem to combine the advantages, in particular by decreasing the energetic contribution.
Indeed, it is necessary to count:
- For 1 glass of classic soda (250 ml): about 100 kcal;
- For 1 glass of light soda: 0 to 5 kcal.
A rather attractive alternative for people wishing to lose weight, control their blood sugar or reduce their sugar consumption without giving up the pleasure of sodas. However, these falsely “healthy” drinks are (also) accused of pushing us to snack.
Several scientific studies have highlighted a link between the consumption of light drinks in obese people and an increase in total calorie contribution. They could indeed be associated with a form of table compensation: the more “light” is drinking, the more we would allow ourselves to consume snacks.
Real dangers, which Julie Boët, dietitian-nutritionist deplores, deplores.
A disoriented appetite and an affected microbiota
The sweeteners that Light drinks contain, such as aspartame or success, send the brain a signal of sweet taste, without providing it with the expected energy.
“This discrepancy can disorient our system of regulating appetite, which is largely based on the satisfaction provided by food. Result: the brain, frustrated not to have received real calories, can trigger desires of snacking or a more marked feeling of hunger”, confirms the expert.
This phenomenon is partly explained by the reward syndrome, a neurobiological mechanism which associates the sweet taste with a gratuity. “When this award is not filled, the brain can encourage food to” compensate “even if it is not always automatic depending on the or long -term. In the long term, this could even blur our hunger and satiety signals”, warns the dietician.
In addition, Light drinks have a significant impact on the intestinal microbiota. “Some studies suggest that artificial sweeteners disrupt the composition of intestinal bacteria, promoting less diverse flora, associated with an increased risk of metabolic disorders, bloating or difficult digestion”, says Julie Boët.
Finally, because they are perceived as “without consequences” for health, “These drinks are often consumed in greater quantity, which accentuates their side effects. They do not really quench, do not nourish, and have a pronounced taste for sweet, making more difficult the return to a more natural diet “, alerts the specialist.
This does not mean that these drinks must be completely banished.
“Occasional consumption will not have a major impact on health. But it is better to favor alternatives more respectful of the body and the intestinal environment: icy herbal teas, infused fruit with fruits, sparkling or flat water with a lemon zest or some mint leaves … So many refreshing solutions, without sugars or artifice, which participate in healthy and natural hydration.” concludes Julie Boët.