Trial results for a study investigating drinks with artificial sweeteners in people with Type 2 Diabetes were posted on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2025-09-11, involving 181 participants.
Background
Diet beverages sweetened with artificial sweeteners are a source of intensely sweet taste without calories. These beverages are the largest contributor to artificial sweetener intake in the U.S. diet. People with diabetes are among the highest consumers of diet beverages, often using them to replace dietary sources of sugar, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages. This practice has been supported by dietetic and scientific organizations, and diet beverages are frequently marketed as beneficial for health.
Trial design
This completed study, designated as Phase NA, enrolled 181 participants with Type 2 Diabetes. The trial compared the effects of consuming diet beverages with artificial sweeteners against consuming water. The study aimed to understand the impact of these beverages on various health markers in this population.
Key results
The trial reported several key measurements related to glycemic control:
- HbA1c (Hba1c(%)):
- For the Diet Beverage group:
- A mean of 7.19 (Standard Deviation 1.10) was observed.
- Another mean of 7.13 (Standard Deviation 1.02) was observed.
- A third mean of 7.14 (Standard Deviation 1.19) was observed.
- For the Water group:
- A mean of 7.20 (Standard Deviation 0.69) was observed.
- Another mean of 7.43 (Standard Deviation 1.02) was observed.
- A third mean of 7.44 (Standard Deviation 1.04) was observed.
- For the Diet Beverage group:
- Time In Range (% Time in Range):
- For the Diet Beverage group:
- A mean of 76.0 (Standard Deviation 19.2) was observed.
- Another mean of 75.2 (Standard Deviation 22.6) was observed.
- A third mean of 72.8 (Standard Deviation 23.2) was observed.
- For the Water group:
- A mean of 72.3 (Standard Deviation 20.9) was observed.
- Another mean of 66.9 (Standard Deviation 26.2) was observed.
- A third mean of 64.7 (Standard Deviation 26.5) was observed.
- For the Diet Beverage group:
What this means
The results indicate that for individuals with Type 2 Diabetes, the consumption of diet beverages with artificial sweeteners led to mean HbA1c levels that were similar to or slightly lower than those observed with water consumption. Additionally, the diet beverage group showed generally higher mean percentages for Time In Range compared to the water group. These findings suggest that artificial sweeteners in beverages may not negatively impact glycemic control and could potentially offer a slight advantage in maintaining blood glucose within target ranges for people with Type 2 Diabetes, aligning with their use as a sugar substitute.
Source
The information regarding these trial results was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a public database of clinical studies. The results for the study "Study Of Drinks With Artificial Sweeteners in People With Type 2 Diabetes" were posted on 2025-09-11 on clinicaltrials.gov.