Sodas, even diet ones, get a bad rap for lacking nutritional value, but they can still be hydrating. Juices and sports drinks are also hydrating — you can lower the sugar content by diluting them with water.

The excess sugar in regular soda tacks on extra calories but does little to actually fill you up and doesn’t add any nutrition to your diet, so is not a great choice to help you drop pounds.

Experimental studies do not support the claim that diet soda causes weight gain. In fact, these studies have found that replacing sugar-sweetened drinks with diet soda can result in weight loss ( 18 , 19 ). One study had overweight participants drink 24 ounces (710 mL) of diet soda or water per day for 1 year.

While diet soda may boast zero calories and zero sugar, it doesn’t hydrate as well as water, and it increases the risk for a number of health issues including insomnia, tooth enamel erosion, and dizziness.

But, like many foods containing artificial additives, there is a safe daily limit. An average adult should consume no more than 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight per day. To exceed the limit, most people would need to drink at least 14 cans of diet drinks a day.

Thirst you can’t seem to quench, what doctors call polydipsia, is one symptom of diabetes. When you have this disease, your body doesn’t make enough of the hormone insulin or doesn’t use it properly. It causes too much sugar (called glucose) to build up in your body.

Hydration Helpers

1. Start your day with oatmeal. This one is a classic.
2. Include more moo.
3. Try carb alternatives.
4. Sip smoothies.
5. Pack your plate with vegetables.
6. Slurp soup.
7. Freeze your fruit.