By: Karolina Starczak

Oct 16, 2009

Still racking up calories from juices and sodas? If you’re not already become a fan of water, our calorie-free best friend, a study published in the American Journal of Nutrition may just change your mind. Turns out water drinkers have healthier diets than people who consume other beverages.

Using responses of over 16,000 people from the continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), researchers examined the self-reported 24 hour intakes of calories, fat, carbohydrate, total sugars, added sugars, as well as all water and moisture intake. It was found that participants, surveyed from 2005 to 2006, who drank less water, had a higher intake of fat and carbohydrates as well as energy dense-foods. Participants who drank more water had a diet that was higher in fiber and lower in fat and carbohydrates.

With sweetened beverages already adding in extra calories, it’s scary to find that higher beverage consumption is associated with eating more energy-dense foods. So how many of us actually rely on plain water to quench our taste?  As reported by the 2005 to 2005 surveys, only 33 percent of consumed fluids consumed by adults came from plain water. Shockingly almost half (48%) of daily fluids were consumed in the form of beverages other than water and the remaining 18 percent from food.

While the relationship between drinking more non-water beverages and an increased intake of calories, fat, and sugar is still unknown, there may be a simple explanation for the increased calories and sugar. Unlike food, beverages loaded with sugar and calories do not satisfy our hunger, making it easier to consume large amounts of calories throughout the day. Switching from high-calorie drinks to water is a great way to avoid extra calories.

Do you think water can influence what we eat?

More on Healthy Drinks

• Is a Martini Better For Your Than Chocolate Milk?
• Can Drinking Water Conquer Your Sweet Tooth?
• Does Drinking Ice Water Help With Weight Loss?