UC expert comments on study tying ditching diet soda to weight loss, diabetes remission

The University of Cincinnati's Robert Cohen, MD, spoke with Everyday Health to discuss new research that suggests diet soda drinkers with type 2 diabetes may have more success losing weight and achieving diabetes remission if they switch to water.

The study, led by D2Type Health, a digital health company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, enrolled 81 women with type 2 diabetes who were overweight or had obesity and regularly drank diet sodas.

All participants spent six months in a weight loss intervention program, followed by 12 months in a weight maintenance program. Additionally, the participants were randomized to switch to drinking water or continue drinking diet soda after lunch five times a week.

After 18 months, the water drinkers lost more weight and were twice as likely to achieve diabetes remission than the diet soda drinkers, according to preliminary study findings presented at the 85th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal or independently reviewed by diabetes experts who weren’t involved in the research.

“I am quite skeptical about the results,” Cohen, professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in UC's College of Medicine and a UC Health physician, told Everyday Health. “I am of the opinion that health risks of diet sodas are overstated.” 

Cohen, who was not involved in the study, noted there was a statistically meaningful difference in the amount of weight loss between the groups, but the difference wasn't large enough to result in different clinical outcomes like higher odds of diabetes remission.

Read the Everyday Health article.

Featured photo at top of diet sodas. Photo/bhofack2/iStock Photo.