Summary
This Consensus Report of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is intended to provide clinical professionals with evidence-based guidance about individualizing nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes or prediabetes. Nutrition counselling that works toward improving or maintaining glycaemic targets, achieving weight management goals, and improving cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., blood pressure, lipids, etc.) within individualized treatment goals is recommended for all adults with diabetes and prediabetes.
With regards to low calorie sweeteners, the Consensus Report on nutrition therapy for adults with diabetes or prediabetes reminds of the safety evaluation and approval of low calorie sweeteners for consumption by the general public, including people with diabetes by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Furthermore, the report states that “Replacing added sugars with sugar substitutes could decrease daily intake of carbohydrates and calories. These dietary changes could beneficially affect glycemic, weight, and cardiometabolic control.” However, it also stresses out that people should be counselled to avoid compensating with intake of additional calories from other food sources. The report further notes that more research is needed to confirm longer-term benefits and effects. Overall, it concludes that “If sugar substitutes are used to replace caloric sweeteners, without caloric compensation, they may be useful in reducing caloric and carbohydrate intake, although further research is needed to confirm these concepts.”