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Response to “Is fasting blood glucose a reliable parameter to investigate the effect of non-nutritive sweeteners on glucose metabolism?”

European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 74, pages 355–356 (2020)Cite this article

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We appreciate the insightful comments by Risdon et al. regarding our systematic review of randomized controlled trials on the glycemic impact of non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) [1]. Our review found that NNS consumption did not elevate blood glucose levels, and that the glycemic impact of NNS consumption did not differ by type of NNS but to some extent varied by study participants’ age, body weight, and diabetic status [1].

Risdon et al. imply that assessing the effect of NNS consumption alone may be less relevant from a clinical point of view. While consumption of NNS without any caloric load is not representative of the behaviors of a clinical population, we believe this finding is a valuable addition to the literature. We do not discredit the findings of differential metabolic responses following NNS consumption with a glucose load [2]. Throughout the discussion we made sure to avoid making clinical recommendations or conclusions, mentioned the negative health outcomes associated with NNS consumption, and called for future research to be conducted on these topics. We also agree with Risdon et al. and encourage future investigation on the interaction between NNS and caloric sources (e.g. food containing fat, carbohydrates, or added sugar).

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References

  1. Nichol AD, Holle MJ, An R. Glycemic impact of non-nutritive sweeteners: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018;72:796–804.

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  2. Pepino MY, Tiemann CD, Patterson BW, Wice BM, Klein S. Sucralose affects glycemic and hormonal responses to an oral glucose load. Diabetes Care. 2013;36:2530–5.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Alexander D. Nichol, Maxwell J. Holle

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA

    Alexander D. Nichol & Maxwell J. Holle

  2. Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Illinois, USA

    Alexander D. Nichol & Ruopeng An

Authors
  1. Alexander D. Nichol
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  2. Maxwell J. Holle
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  3. Ruopeng An
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Correspondence to Alexander D. Nichol.

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Nichol, A.D., Holle, M.J. & An, R. Response to “Is fasting blood glucose a reliable parameter to investigate the effect of non-nutritive sweeteners on glucose metabolism?”. Eur J Clin Nutr 74, 355–356 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-018-0354-0

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