Water vs. Diet Soda: The Switch That Doubled Weight Loss and Diabetes Remission

More breaking news for ADA 85!

We’re back with more exclusive coverage from the 85th annual American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, and this one is going to ruffle some feathers.

A new study presented at ADA 2025 shows that replacing diet soda with water may double your chance of achieving diabetes remission. Yes, you read that right. And no, the people in this study weren’t sipping regular soda. They were drinking zero calorie diet drinks. The kind most of us have been told are harmless, maybe even helpful.

But for women with type 2 diabetes and obesity, this small switch made a big difference.

The research, led by Dr. Hamid Farshchi and his team, followed 81 adult women over 18 months. Everyone started with a 6 month weight loss program followed by a 12 month maintenance phase. Half the group was asked to replace their daily post lunch diet beverage with water, and the other half kept drinking diet drinks 5 days a week.

The results were staggering. The water group lost more weight, an average of 6.82 kilograms compared to 4.85 kilograms in the diet soda group. But the real headline is this:

90 percent of the women who switched to water went into diabetes remission.
The diet soda group? Only 45 percent.

That’s not a minor difference. That’s a complete flip in outcomes.

This wasn’t a study about a new drug. No new injection. No coaching app. Just a switch from artificially sweetened drinks to plain water. And it didn’t just impact weight. The water group also saw improvements in fasting glucose, insulin resistance, post meal blood sugar, BMI, and triglycerides.

Dr. Farshchi said it best: “Our study highlights the importance of promoting water, not just low calorie alternatives, as part of effective diabetes and weight management.”

The team behind the research is planning follow up studies to explore how this interacts with other lifestyle factors like sleep, stress, and movement. They also want to better understand how to reduce dependence on sweet tasting beverages altogether.

But for now, this finding stands on its own. For people with type 2 diabetes or obesity, a single drink swap led to better outcomes across the board. No side effects. No copay. Just water.

Stay tuned to OnThePen.com for more updates and in depth analysis on the latest developments in weight loss and diabetes treatments. Sharing this article is a powerful form of advocacy that brings us closer to our goal of educating the masses and reducing the stigma of obesity. If you found this article insightful, please share it within your networks, especially in Facebook groups and Reddit forums dedicated to GLP-1 medications and diabetes management. Together, we can make a difference.

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