~Reports marginal reduction in body weight, body mass index, and waist circumference~
~Observes no adverse impact of non-nutritive sweetener (NNS) – sucralose on glycemic markers~
 Chennai –The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), a non-profit organization and a premier medical research institute for diabetes and its complications, recently published India’s first study on the effect of sucralose on cardiometabolic risk factors among adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Aiming to explore the impact of replacing table sugar (sucrose) with the artificial sweetener sucralose in coffee and tea among Asian Indians, the randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined 179 Indians with T2D over 12 weeks.
The findings reveal that small quantities of sucralose in daily beverages like coffee and tea have no adverse effect on glycemic markers such as glucose or HbA1c levels. On the other hand, the study shows a slight improvement in body weight (BW), waist circumference (WC), and body mass index (BMI).
While several studies have investigated the impact of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) in various contexts, there is limited data on the effects of NNS consumed in daily beverages like tea or coffee. This study is particularly crucial as many people with diabetes in India continue to use added sugar in their coffee and tea, making these beverages a potential daily source of sugar intake. Additionally, India’s overall carbohydrate consumption, particularly from white rice or refined wheat, is very high, further increasing the risks of T2D.
The study comes at a time when the WHO has cautioned against using NNS to control body weight but has clearly stated that the guidelines were mainly meant for people without diabetes. However, the WHO warning raised concerns among healthcare stakeholders and the public regarding the use of NNS, even among those with T2D.
As part of the RCT, participants were divided into two groups: intervention and control. In the intervention group, added sugar in coffee or tea was substituted with a sucralose-based tabletop sweetener, while in the control group, participants continued to use sucrose as before. Lifestyle patterns and medications remained unchanged. At the end of the 12-week study, researchers found no significant change in HbA1c levels between the intervention and control groups. However, favorable changes were noted in BMI, WC, and mean body weight. The mean weight loss in the intervention group was 0.3 kg, BMI decreased by 0.1 kg/m², and WC decreased by 0.9 cm.
Senior Diabetologist Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman of MDRF, who led the study, said, “This study is very relevant to India as the dietary habits of Indians vary significantly compared to the rest of the world. Typically, in India, NNS is used to replace sugars in daily beverages like tea or coffee. This can help in cutting down calories, and sugar intake, and increase dietary compliance. Judicious use of NNS like sucralose within the permissible ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake) in daily beverages like tea and coffee appears to be safe.” He added that more studies are underway on the safety and efficacy of sucralose.
The study was funded by Zydus Wellness, which also provided the tabletop sweetener in three different formats (pellet, liquid, and powder) containing sucralose for use in the study. The sponsors, however, had no role in the study conduct or data analysis.
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Link to report –Â https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13300-024-01622-6
