Ingestion of Diet Soda Before a Glucose Load Augments Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Secretion
- Rebecca J. Brown, MD,
- Mary Walter, PHD and
- Kristina I. Rother, MD, MHSC
- From the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
- Corresponding author: Rebecca J. Brown, brownrebecca{at}mail.nih.gov.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The goal of this study was to determine the effect of artificial sweeteners on glucose, insulin, and glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 in humans.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS For this study, 22 healthy volunteers (mean age 18.5 ± 4.2 years) underwent two 75-g oral glucose tolerance tests with frequent measurements of glucose, insulin, and GLP-1 for 180 min. Subjects drank 240 ml of diet soda or carbonated water, in randomized order, 10 min prior to the glucose load.
RESULTS Glucose excursions were similar after ingestion of carbonated water and diet soda. Serum insulin levels tended to be higher after diet soda, without statistical significance. GLP-1 peak and area under the curve (AUC) were significantly higher with diet soda (AUC 24.0 ± 15.2 pmol/l per 180 min) versus carbonated water (AUC 16.2 ± 9.0 pmol/l per 180 min; P = 0.003).
CONCLUSIONS Artificial sweeteners synergize with glucose to enhance GLP-1 release in humans. This increase in GLP-1 secretion may be mediated via stimulation of sweet-taste receptors on L-cells by artificial sweetener.
Footnotes
-
The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.
-
- Received June 29, 2009.
- Accepted September 17, 2009.
- © 2009 by the American Diabetes Association.
