Unsweetened Sparkling Water and Changes in Sweetness Perception in Adolescents

Reducing Added Sugar Intake on Sweetness Perception in Adolescents by Substituting Unsweetened Sparkling Water for Sugar Sweetened Beverages

The study design is a prospective observational study in adolescents who are at risk for developing Type 2 Diabetes (T2D), to evaluate the effectiveness of sparkling water to reduce dietary intake of added sugars and thereby improve glycemia. Study data on consumption and the flavor profile of sparkling water will serve as a measure of acceptability. The study intervention will be to provide carbonated flavored sparkling water for 12 weeks to adolescents (and their families) who have a usual intake of 2 or more servings of sugar sweetened beverages (SSB) per day and are at a high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Study measures will be obtained before and after the exposure to carbonated flavored sparkling water and each participant will serve as his/her own control. To encourage the participants to substitute the carbonated flavored sparkling water, study personnel will send them weekly iMessages through the Technology Assisted Dietary Assessment (TADA) app. In addition, investigators will monitor the participants' diet, using the TADA app, every two weeks, for 4 days. Study measurements will be obtained at baseline, before the intervention, during and at the end of the 12 week intervention.

Objective: Determine the effect of reducing added sugars intake by substituting carbonated sparkling water on T2D risk in adolescents.

Hypothesis: Adolescents who decrease consumption of SSB by substituting sparkling water will experience decreased blood glucose concentrations and increased insulin sensitivity during an oral glucose tolerance test and decreased glucose excursions during continued glucose monitoring, compared to those who do not decrease consumption of SSB.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: PreDiabetes; Obesity, Adolescent
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Unsweetened flavored sparkling water

Detailed Description

Importance of studying added sugars in adolescents. Research that leads to nutritional strategies to prevent T2D in adolescents is an urgent pursuit. One particular contributing factor to the growth of T2D and prediabetes in adolescents is the increased consumption of added sugars. Adolescents in the U.S. have high intakes of added sugars which could have poor health implications. Added sugars are found in sugar sweetened beverages and desserts and snacks, top sources of energy for adolescents, and calories from added sugars contribute to 16% of the total energy intake. Levels are well above recommendations from leading scientific organizations, which suggest limiting added sugars to less than 10% of energy. However, it is not clear whether sugar reduction to less than 10% of energy is palatable for an adolescent population that prefers sweetened foods and beverages. Moreover, uncertainty about the evidence linking added sugar consumption to risk of disease has made policies that seek to reduce dietary intake of added sugar controversial. The controversy impairs large-scale implementation of recommendations to reduce intake of added sugars by individuals, clinicians, policy makers and industry stakeholders.

Evidence linking added sugars and risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease lacks information on adolescents. Many epidemiological studies in adults, but not all show the concept that after controlling for energy intake, high consumption of sugar-sweetened foods is a risk factor for T2D. Epidemiological studies also associate high consumption of added sugars, particularly from sugar sweetened beverages (SSB), with increased adiposity (including central adiposity) and dyslipidemia. These studies formed the basis of recommendations to limit added sugar consumption from the American Heart Organization. The data in youth is limited. Two small randomized studies compared the effects of glucose versus fructose beverages on insulin sensitivity in adolescents and findings were mixed. One longitudinal cohort study showed that higher consumption of added sugars, from SSB, was associated with hyperglycemia and impaired insulin sensitivity in youth aged 8 - 12 years. One study showed that high amounts of added sugars may induce insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction and such effects can occur independent of adiposity. The literature lacks evidence linking high consumption of added sugars to risk of developing youth-onset T2D.

Substituting Flavored Sparkling Water for Sugar Sweetened Beverages. Instead of sugar, food manufacturers typically sweeten foods beverages using low-calorie or artificial sweeteners. "Diet" versions of SSB have been available for several decades and are widely used by adults and children. However the safety of low calorie sweeteners is controversial and many in the scientific and lay communities do not promote their use as a substitute for SSB. We propose that an alternative to SSB may be found in sparkling waters (carbonated water with flavoring, completely unsweetened), which are commercially available in soda-like flavors like cola or Dr. Pepper™. The rationale for the current project is the urgent need for an effective strategy to combat adolescent T2D which investigators will address by demonstrating the benefit of an intervention to reduce added sugars. The objective of the study is to demonstrate whether substituting sparkling water for SSB has benefits for in vivo physiological measures of glycemia while maintaining flavor acceptability to adolescents who are at risk for diabetes.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 11
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Indiana
    • Bloomington, Indiana, United States, 47405
      • Indiana University School of Public Health

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male and female adolescents (age 10-21 years)
• Overweight and Obese (body mass index ≥ 85 percentile for age and sex)
• High consumers of SSB, defined as >2 or more servings per day
• Family history of diabetes in a first or second degree relative OR prediabetes (i.e., evidence of either impaired glucose tolerance (HbA1c 5.7 - 6.4%, or plasma glucose between 140-199 mg/dL at 2 hours on oral glucose tolerance testing) or impaired fasting plasma glucose (≥ 100 mg/dL))

Exclusion Criteria:• Pregnancy

• Use of medications that affect glucose metabolism (such as glucocorticoid-containing medications or atypical antipsychotics). We will not exclude female participants who currently use, are planning to use, or planning to stop taking oral contraceptives.
• Syndromic obesity (such as Prader Willi, hypothalamic obesity, or Laurence-Moon-Biedl)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: Replacement of SSB with Unsweetened Sparkling Beverage; To encourage participants to substitute sparkling water flavored water for SSB intake, we will provide enough supplies of the drinks to adolescents (and their families) each month. We will also provide iPhones with the TADA app to the adolescent participants. Study staff will remind participants to consume the sparkling water through iMessages sent through the TADA app.

Other: Unsweetened flavored sparkling water; Unsweetened sparkling waters are carbonated water with flavoring, completely unsweetened, which are commercially available in soda-like flavors like cola

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in 2 hour glucose concentration	Oral glucose tolerance testing; 1.75 g/kg body weight	0, 12 weeks
Change in Dietary consumption of SSB and Sparkling water	Using Technology Assisted Dietary Assessment (TADA) system, a mobile food record	0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 weeks
Change in Glycemic variability	Continuous Glucose Monitoring will be measured usingFreeStyle Libre Pro System; Abbott; Abbott Park, IL. The instrument records glucose excursions during a 24 hour period as glycemic variability.	0, 12 weeks
Change in Insulin sensitivity	Whole body insulin sensitivity index (WBISI); Calculated as described by Matsuda et al., 1999. Units are 1/mg/dL*mU/ML*mg/dL*mU/ML; higher values indicate more insulin sensitivity	0, 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Flavor perception of beverage sweetness	Sensory testing of 6 levels of sweetness in beverages.Participants will rate the samples for their sweetness using a "just about right" visual analog scale, with anchors at: -100, "Not sweet enough"; -50, "Slightly not sweet enough"; 0, "Just about right"; +50, "Slightly too sweet"; and +100 "Too sweet." Samples will also be rated for liking using a hedonic visual analog scale, with anchors at: -100, "Worst ever"; -50, "Dislike"; 0, "Neutral"; +50, "Like"; +100, "Best ever."	0, 12 weeks
Change in Blood Pressure	Systolic blood pressure in the morning with participant in the fasting condition	0, 12 weeks
Change in Blood Triglycerides	Triglycerides concentrations in the morning with participant in the fasting condition.	0, 12 weeks
Change in waist circumference	measured per instructions from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survay (NHANES). Anthropometry Procedures Manual	0, 12 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Dietary intake behaviors	Using Technology Assisted Dietary Assessment (TADA) system, a mobile food record. Total intake of calories and added sugars will be assessed.	0, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Indiana University
• Collaborators: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Nana Gletsu Miller, PhD, Indiana University

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Matsuda M, DeFronzo RA. Insulin sensitivity indices obtained from oral glucose tolerance testing: comparison with the euglycemic insulin clamp. Diabetes Care. 1999 Sep;22(9):1462-70. doi: 10.2337/diacare.22.9.1462.
• Banfield EC, Liu Y, Davis JS, Chang S, Frazier-Wood AC. Poor Adherence to US Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Population. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2016 Jan;116(1):21-27. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2015.08.010. Epub 2015 Sep 26.
• Reedy J, Krebs-Smith SM. Dietary sources of energy, solid fats, and added sugars among children and adolescents in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010 Oct;110(10):1477-84. doi: 10.1016/j.jada.2010.07.010.
• Andes LJ, Cheng YJ, Rolka DB, Gregg EW, Imperatore G. Prevalence of Prediabetes Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States, 2005-2016. JAMA Pediatr. 2020 Feb 1;174(2):e194498. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.4498. Epub 2020 Feb 3.
• Bailey RL, Fulgoni VL, Cowan AE, Gaine PC. Sources of Added Sugars in Young Children, Adolescents, and Adults with Low and High Intakes of Added Sugars. Nutrients. 2018 Jan 17;10(1):102. doi: 10.3390/nu10010102.
• Boushey CJ, Kerr DA, Wright J, Lutes KD, Ebert DS, Delp EJ. Use of technology in children's dietary assessment. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2009 Feb;63 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S50-7. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2008.65.
• Running, C.A. Desensitization but not sensitization from commercial chemesthetic beverages. Food Quality and Preference 2018 Vol. 69 Pages 21-27; DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2018.05.001
• Wang J, Light K, Henderson M, O'Loughlin J, Mathieu ME, Paradis G, Gray-Donald K. Consumption of added sugars from liquid but not solid sources predicts impaired glucose homeostasis and insulin resistance among youth at risk of obesity. J Nutr. 2014 Jan;144(1):81-6. doi: 10.3945/jn.113.182519. Epub 2013 Nov 6.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 9, 2020
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 20, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): June 26, 2023

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 10, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): August 1, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 14, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 8, 2023
• Last Verified: August 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Overweight; Body Weight; Obesity; Pediatric Obesity
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1908757318; P30DK097512 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No