One study surprisingly found that people maintained weight loss better with artificially sweetened drinks than with water, possibly because the water group sought calories elsewhere.

A recent study found artificial sweeteners increased gut bacteria that produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids, which can boost fullness and counter inflammation.

The gastrointestinal discomfort some experience from artificial sweeteners might be due to an increase in methane-producing gut bacteria.

The positive findings in the new study came from replacing sugar with a range of sweeteners including aspartame, erythritol, and xylitol.

In a year-long trial, participants using artificial sweeteners maintained 1.6kg more weight loss than the sugar group, with compliant users losing 3.8kg more.

A year-long randomized trial found no negative impacts from artificial sweeteners on risk markers for type 2 diabetes, LDL cholesterol, or blood pressure.

Previous studies linking artificial sweeteners to weight gain may be misleading because people already struggling with their weight are more likely to choose them.