Replacing artificial sweetened beverages with water did not improve glycemic control in adults with T2DM. The study, published in Diabetes Care, evaluated whether substituting plain water for habitual ASB intake would improve diabetes-related outcomes.

The randomized, two-arm trial enrolled 181 adults with T2DM aged 35 years or older who regularly consumed ASBs and had baseline HbA1c between 6.5% and 8.5%. Participants consumed 24 ounces daily of either a commercial ASB or unflavored water for 24 weeks after a 2-week run-in period. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks.

At 24 weeks, the mean change in HbA1c was 0.29% higher in the water group compared with the ASB group (SE 0.12; P = 0.013). Secondary measures showed no significant differences between groups but aligned directionally with HbA1c findings.

These results indicate that substituting water for ASBs does not improve glycemic measures or related clinical outcomes over 24 weeks in individuals with T2DM.