Liquid Calories from Sugars Do Not Increase Body Weight More than Solid Calories: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Controlled Feeding Trials

ObjectiveAlthough liquid calories from sugars have been shown to be more poorly compensated than solid calories in pooled analyses of acute preload trials, it is unclear whether they contribute more to weight gain over the longer term. To synthesize the evidence of the effect of liquid calories from sugars versus solid calories on body weight in controlled trials. MethodsWe searched Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library through September 21, 2015. We included controlled trials of ≥ 7 days investigating the effect of liquid calories from sugars in exchange for solid calories from various sources on body weight. Two independent reviewers extracted relevant data as well as assessed risk of bias (Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool). Data were pooled using the generic inverse variance method and expressed as mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed (Cochran Q statistic) and quantified (I2 statistic). ResultsSeven trials involving 135 participants met the eligibility criteri...