Could ditching diet soda be the trick to kickstart weight loss for those with type 2 diabetes? A recent study by a digital health company aims to answer that question with a resounding 'yes,' but some experts are adding a bit of skepticism to the mix. According to the University of Cincinnati, a study conducted by the digital health company D2Type Health in Vancouver suggests that replacing diet soda with water may contribute to weight loss and even remission of diabetes in overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes.
The research involved 81 women who, plagued by type 2 diabetes and being overweight, regularly consumed diet sodas. These participants hopped onto a six-month weight loss program and followed it with a year-long weight maintenance regimen. The twist came with a beverage swap: half of them were randomized to switch their post-lunch diet sodas for water, sticking to this routine five times a week. This study, still awaiting peer review, made a splash with its preliminary findings at the American Diabetes Association's 85th Scientific Sessions, claiming that water drinkers reaped better weight loss results and had double the chance of seeing their diabetes go into remission.
Yet the findings aren't sugary sweet for everyone. Dr. Robert Cohen of the University of Cincinnati's College of Medicine expressed his doubts in a chat with Everyday Health, suggesting that the study's health risk claims might be an exaggeration.
Dr. Cohen, who has not been involved in the study, highlighted the continuing debate on diet sodas and their associated health risks. The research might encourage a splash of water in place of diet soda, but Cohen suggests the conclusive effects of this substitution on diabetes are still a murky area.
