Substituting Water for Artificially Sweetened Beverages Fails to Improve Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes: Results from the SODAS Trial

Highlights

• Replacing artificially sweetened beverages (ASBs) with water did not lead to improvements in glycemic control over 24 weeks in adults with type 2 diabetes.
• The water-substitution arm showed a statistically significant 0.29% higher HbA1c compared to the group that continued ASB consumption.
• No significant differences were observed in secondary measures such as body weight, fasting insulin, or continuous glucose monitor metrics.
• The findings challenge the clinical assumption that water is always a superior substitute for ASBs in the context of diabetes management.

Introduction: The Sweetener Dilemma in Diabetes Management