Effect of Sugar Replacement with Stevia-Based Tabletop Sweetener on Weight and Cardiometabolic Health among Indian Adults.

Unlabelled: Added sugars contribute to caloric intake in the diet, which may lead to conditions like obesity. Replacing added sugar with a natural sugar substitute like zero-calorie stevia may help in reducing sugar and caloric intake.

Methods: An open-label, single-arm pilot study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a stevia-based tabletop sweetener among overweight subjects with normal blood sugar levels ( = 24) and overweight prediabetic subjects ( = 21). Subjects were instructed to replace added sugar in their daily diet with the test product over a study period of 90 days. Primary outcomes included change in body weight and waist circumference, while the secondary outcomes included change in blood glucose (PPBG), body mass index (BMI), and lipid parameters evaluated at baseline, 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was evaluated at baseline and 90 days.

Results: When compared with the baseline, a significant reduction in weight ( < 0.001) and waist circumference ( < 0.001) was observed at Day 90 in overweight subjects. Similarly, in overweight prediabetic subjects, a significant reduction in weight ( < 0.001) and waist circumference ( < 0.05) with non-significant change in HbA1c was observed at Day 90 from baseline. In a subgroup analysis, among the subjects who lost weight, 2.12 kg ( = 35) weight loss and 4.78 cm ( = 32) reduction in waist circumference were observed at 90 days. No adverse outcomes were reported throughout the study period. The consumption of steviol glycosides was within the acceptable daily intake (ADI).

Conclusions: Replacing added sugar in the daily diet with stevia-based tabletop sweetener, along with a physical activity regimen, promotes weight loss and reduction in waist circumference in overweight subjects with normal blood sugar levels and prediabetic subjects (CTRI/2019/12/022470).