Reuters reports that a recent national healthy survey of 12,000 Americans suggests people who drink more "plain water" tend to eat diets that consist of "more fiber, less sugar and fewer calorie-dense foods." The study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found the reverse was true for people who get most of their fluids from liquids besides water.
In general, the more water people drank, the more fiber and the less sugar they consumed. They also had a lower intake of calorie-dense foods -- a general marker of a healthier diet. Calorie density refers to the amount of calories in a food in relation to its weight; fruits and vegetables, for instance, tend to have a low calorie density.
There are a lot of drinks out there that contain sugar so it is logical that people that drink more water are probably going to consume less sugar than those that primarily drink other liquids. Water drinkers may eat less calorie-dense foods because the water makes them feel fuller.
