Health officials are speaking out about diet soft drinks, which have some advantages for dieters, but also some risks.

Diet soft drinks offer consumers a substantial reduction in sugary calories with a virtually identical flavor to their sugar-filled counterparts. While drinking less or no sugar-loaded soft drinks is good, the very flavor of diet soft drinks can play a role in derailing diets.

Dr David Ludwig told the Boston Globe that the sweetness of diet soft drinks makes the body expect a rush of calories from sugar that is not there, which may lead to hunger later in the day. The calories dieters avoid ingesting from sugared drinks are more than made up for by extra meals or snacking brought on by diet drinks.

To add to that risk, a recent Boston University study found that both regular and diet soft drinks elevated the chances of developing metabolic syndrome, a precursor to more serious problems like diabetes, heart attack and strokes.

Sugarless soft drinks are marketed to dieters who are attempting to lose weight, but healthier options are available. Fruit juice can provide them with the sugar their bodies need without throwing appetites out of balance, while cinnamon and fenugreek supplements can help metabolized blood sugar.