Where does the body of research about liquids versus solids and satiety stand at this point?
Dr. Drewnowski: The same group that looked at soda and jelly beans recently retested the effects of food form on appetite and energy intakes.4 This time they compared watermelon and watermelon juice, cheese and milk, and coconut meat and coconut milk. The surprise was that solids did not cause much energy compensation either. Although beverages had a slightly weaker effect, the difference in energy compensation between liquid and solid sugars (watermelon) was only 12 percent. Now, a 12 percent difference is a far, far cry from the original notion that liquids have no satiating power whatsoever. We have previously reviewed the entire literature on this topic.5 There are studies showing that liquids are less satiating than solids – but there are also studies showing that soup is more satiating than many solid foods. And of course, liquid formula diets are marketed with the slogan “prevents hunger longer.” So, at this point, the evidence is inconclusive about whether liquids are less sati
