Diet Drinks vs Water: Weight Loss & Diabetes Remission in Women
- CHICAGO - New research suggests women with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity who chose water over diet beverages at lunch experienced greater weight loss and diabetes...
- Farshchi, CEO of D2Type, presented the findings of the randomized trial at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions.
- "Patients often think diet sodas are a 'free pass' because they don't have calories.
In a groundbreaking study, women with type 2 diabetes who chose water over diet drinks experienced important weight loss and higher rates of diabetes remission. This research, presented at the American Diabetes Association scientific Sessions, reveals the metabolic advantages of replacing diet beverages with water. The study, involving women in a weight management program, showed that those in the water group achieved more weight loss compared to the diet beverage group. The findings, which also highlight improvements in various health metrics, suggest that a simple switch from diet beverages to water can significantly impact both weight management and disease remission. Published by News Directory 3, this could be the key to your health. Discover whatS next …
CHICAGO – New research suggests women with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity who chose water over diet beverages at lunch experienced greater weight loss and diabetes remission.
Dr. Hamid R. Farshchi, CEO of D2Type, presented the findings of the randomized trial at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions. The study investigated the metabolic advantages of substituting water for diet drinks.
Drinking water at lunch was tied with greater weight loss and higher odds for diabetes remission vs. drinking a diet beverage.
Image: Adobe Stock
“Patients often think diet sodas are a ‘free pass’ because they don’t have calories. But the evidence on weight and glycemic control is inconsistent. We wanted a clear test of whether simply swapping diet beverages for water could shift the needle,” Farshchi said.
The study involved 81 women enrolled in an 18-month weight management program. Participants regularly consumed diet beverages and were randomly assigned to either replace those drinks with water or continue their usual intake of five diet beverages per week after lunch.
“Women make up most of commercial weight-loss program participants and show distinct hormonal and behavioral responses to sweet tastes,” Farshchi said. “Keeping the cohort single-sex reduced variability.”
The 18-month program included six months of weight loss followed by 12 months of weight maintenance.
Women in the water group had greater mean weight loss compared to the diet beverage group (6.82 kg vs.4.85 kg).
“The open question was, would people with type 2 diabetes stick with plain water for 18 months? The extra 2 kg weight loss and higher remission signal in the water group were larger than we dared hope,” Farshchi said.
Ninety percent of women drinking water achieved diabetes remission, compared with 45% in the diet beverage group.
researchers also noted improvements in BMI, fasting glucose, insulin levels, insulin resistance, postprandial glucose, and triglycerides among women in the water group.
“The advice is simple: Encourage patients who lean on diet sodas to try water instead,” Farshchi said. “It’s free, improves overall calorie control and may boost diabetes-remission odds. Embedding ‘water first’ into lifestyle counseling could be low-hanging fruit for better outcomes.” The study highlights the potential benefits of water consumption for weight loss and diabetes remission, offering a simple strategy for improving metabolic health and diet beverage choices.
Sources/Disclosures
Collapse
Farshchi M, et al. 586-P. Presented at: American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions; June 20-23, 2025; Chicago.
Disclosures:
Farshchi reports no relevant financial disclosures.