16 sources: 1 cohort study, 2 meta-analyses, 5 narrative reviews, 8 systematic reviews
Physical · Practice
Replace Sugary Drinks With Water
Swapping sugary drinks for water: one way to carry out what the sources on fluid intake and chronic disease studied. Daniels 2010 reports total energy intake 7.8% higher when sugar-sweetened beverages were consumed instead of water, Chen 2024 reports that replacing them with water may offer a modest weight-loss benefit, and Pan 2013 reports water intake associated with less long-term weight gain.
2 of 16 sources behind this entry were read from the abstract only; they are marked in the sources list.
daily
Beginner-friendlyAnywhere
Before you start
Not for clinical populations without professional guidance
When to seek a professional
- Signs of disordered eating (food/weight preoccupation, restriction, bingeing, purging, compulsive exercise): see a qualified eating-disorder professional
- Diagnosed medical condition (diabetes, chronic kidney disease, heart failure, GI disease): see a registered dietitian or physician
- Pregnancy or breastfeeding: see a prenatal provider or registered dietitian
- Unintentional weight loss, difficulty swallowing, or persistent GI symptoms: seek medical evaluation
How to do it
Replace at least one sugary drink per day with water or an unsweetened drink
For most adultsNew to thisWeight management
What the evidence says
What the sources say
This practice is one way to carry out what the sources on the concept entry (phys.nutrition.fluid-intake-clinical-outcomes) studied: the substitution of water for sugar-sweetened beverages. Daniels 2010 (systematic review) reports total energy intake 7.8% higher when sugar-sweetened beverages were consumed instead of water, and concludes that reduced energy intake is expected when water replaces caloric beverages at a meal but may not translate into long-term weight change; Chen 2024 (meta-analysis of 8 randomised trials) reports that water intake did not significantly affect adiposity and that replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water may offer a modest benefit in weight loss; Pan 2013 (cohort) reports each extra cup of water a day inversely associated with 4-year weight gain (−0.13 kg) and sugar-sweetened beverages associated with gain (+0.36 kg per cup); Fink 2013 (systematic review of randomised trials) reports a recurrent kidney-stone risk ratio of 0.83 with reduced soft-drink intake, and Lin 2020 (meta-analysis) lists soda among the risk factors for incident stones. The full account, source by source, is on the concept entry this practice links to (phys.nutrition.fluid-intake-clinical-outcomes).
What we won't claim
- Do not claim any food, diet, or supplement cures, treats, or prevents any disease
- Do not diagnose nutrient deficiencies or medical conditions
- Do not promise specific weight-loss amounts or timelines
- Do not deliver individualized medical nutrition therapy or replace clinical care
16 sources: 1 cohort study, 2 meta-analyses, 5 narrative reviews, 8 systematic reviews
- Agreement
- Direction recorded for 0 of 16 sources; not yet recorded for the rest.
- The claim's outcome
- Outcome not yet recorded
- Certainty
- No source states a certainty rating.
- How the sources were read
- Some sources are based on abstracts, not full texts.
What each source measured and concluded (16)
systematic review · 2013
Fink et al. (2013) — Medical Management to Prevent Recurrent Nephrolithiasis in Adults: A Systematic Review for an American College of Physicians Clinical Guideline
- What it measured
- Benefits and harms of interventions to prevent recurrent kidney stones (stone outcomes)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review (for ACP clinical guideline)
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 28 RCTs
systematic review · 2012
Bao et al. (2012) — Water for preventing urinary stones.
- What it measured
- Prevention of urinary stones and recurrence
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Cochrane systematic review of randomized/quasi-randomized controlled trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 1 study, 199 patients (secondary prevention); 0 studies for primary prevention
meta-analysis · 2020
Lin et al. (2020) — Dietary and lifestyle factors for primary prevention of nephrolithiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- What it measured
- Associations between modifiable lifestyle/dietary factors and incident nephrolithiasis
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review and meta-analysis (observational studies and RCTs)
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 50 articles; 1,322,133 participants; 21,030 cases
systematic review · 2026
Rauzi et al. (2026) — Identification of Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Stones in Rural Populations : A Systematic Review
- What it measured
- Risk factors for urinary tract stones in rural settings
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 80 studies
systematic review · 2026
Asher et al. (2026) — Prevention of Recurrent Nephrolithiasis in Adults and Children : A Systematic Review.
- What it measured
- Prevention of recurrent nephrolithiasis (benefits and harms of diet, pharmacologic therapy, surveillance imaging)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review of randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized studies of interventions
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 31 studies (26 RCTs, 5 NRSIs)
narrative review · 2026
Kandefer et al. (2026) — Nutrition and Urological Disorders: From Nephrolithiasis to Uro oncology – Practical Implications for Everyday Practice
- What it measured
- Role of diet, obesity, dietary patterns in nephrolithiasis and urologic cancers; practical dietary counselling
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
systematic review · 2010
Daniels et al. (2010) — The impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review
- What it measured
- Change in total energy intake (ΔTEI).
- How it measured it
- ΔTEI formula (objective).
- How it was read
- read in full text
cohort study · 2013
Pan et al. (2013) — Changes in water and beverage intake and long-term weight changes: results from three prospective cohort studies
- What it measured
- Long-term weight change associated with changes in water/beverage intake
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
meta-analysis · 2024
Chen et al. (2024) — Water Intake and Adiposity Outcomes among Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
- What it measured
- Body weight, BMI, WC.
- How it measured it
- Objective measurements (mean differences and standard deviations).
- How it was read
- read in full text
- What the review says it includes
- Meta-analysis of 8 RCTs
- Studies and participants, as stated
- N=[not reported] participants across 8 studies
- Heterogeneity, as stated
- High heterogeneity in some meta-analyses
systematic review · 2024
Hakam et al. (2024) — Outcomes in Randomized Clinical Trials Testing Changes in Daily Water Intake
- What it measured
- Benefits of changing daily water intake (weight, nephrolithiasis, and other outcomes)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review of randomized clinical trials
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 18 RCTs
narrative review · 2017
Naumann et al. (2017) — Prevention and Therapy of Type 2 Diabetes—What Is the Potential of Daily Water Intake and Its Mineral Nutrients?
- What it measured
- Effect of drinking water/mineral water on glycemic parameters
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
narrative review · 2015
El-Sharkawy et al. (2015) — Acute and chronic effects of hydration status on health.
- What it measured
- Impact of hydration status on health/disease
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
narrative review · 2019
Liska et al. (2019) — Narrative Review of Hydration and Selected Health Outcomes in the General Population
- What it measured
- Role of hydration in health outcomes (skin, neurological, GI/renal, body weight/composition)
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
narrative review · 2012
Maughan (2012) — Hydration, morbidity, and mortality in vulnerable populations.
- What it measured
- Association of fluid deficits with morbidity and mortality
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
systematic review · 2018
Wood et al. (2018) — Is it Safe to Reduce Water Intake in the Overactive Bladder Population? A Systematic Review
- What it measured
- Health effects of increased water intake and identification of subpopulations needing increased hydration
- How it was read
- based on the abstract, not the full text
systematic review · 2015
Callan et al. (2015) — Does Increasing or Decreasing the Daily Intake of Water/Fluid by Adults Affect Overactive Bladder Symptoms?
- What it measured
- Effect of increasing/decreasing daily water/fluid intake on OAB symptoms
- How it was read
- screened only, not extracted
- What the review says it includes
- Systematic review (Evidence Based Report Card)
- Studies and participants, as stated
- 10 articles met inclusion (from 260 identified, 48 full-text)
Key sources (16)
Every source below is shown with its study design and links to the original study. This is the audit trail.
systematic reviewMedical Management to Prevent Recurrent Nephrolithiasis in Adults: A Systematic Review for an American College of Physicians Clinical Guideline
systematic reviewWater for preventing urinary stones.
meta-analysisDietary and lifestyle factors for primary prevention of nephrolithiasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis
systematic reviewIdentification of Risk Factors for Urinary Tract Stones in Rural Populations : A Systematic Review
systematic reviewPrevention of Recurrent Nephrolithiasis in Adults and Children : A Systematic Review.
narrative reviewNutrition and Urological Disorders: From Nephrolithiasis to Uro oncology – Practical Implications for Everyday Practice
systematic reviewThe impact of water intake on energy intake and weight status: a systematic review
cohort studyChanges in water and beverage intake and long-term weight changes: results from three prospective cohort studies
meta-analysisWater Intake and Adiposity Outcomes among Overweight and Obese Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials
systematic reviewOutcomes in Randomized Clinical Trials Testing Changes in Daily Water Intake
narrative reviewPrevention and Therapy of Type 2 Diabetes—What Is the Potential of Daily Water Intake and Its Mineral Nutrients?
narrative reviewAcute and chronic effects of hydration status on health.
narrative reviewNarrative Review of Hydration and Selected Health Outcomes in the General Population
narrative reviewHydration, morbidity, and mortality in vulnerable populations.
systematic reviewIs it Safe to Reduce Water Intake in the Overactive Bladder Population? A Systematic Review
systematic reviewDoes Increasing or Decreasing the Daily Intake of Water/Fluid by Adults Affect Overactive Bladder Symptoms?
“Abstract only” means the review read that paper’s abstract, not its full text; “screened only” means it was included at re-screening and not extracted. Both stay in the trail with their DOI, because how a source was read is part of the audit.
Explore all 1,008 studies in Nutrition →
The full evidence base this focus area draws on, every study with its design and DOI.What it is for
Eat better overallManage my weightProtect my heartSupport my digestion and gut health