Sugar substitutes under scrutiny: could they harm blood sugar control?

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion criteria This study aims to recruit a cohort of patients with early-phase diagnosed T2DM whose conditions are stable that can best represent the Malaysian DM phenotypes. 1. Male citizens of Malaysia. 2. Aged between 30 and 59 years. 3. BMI between 23-29.9 kg/m² (Overweight). 4. Diagnosed with diabetes for a duration between 1-10 years. 5. Currently on oral antidiabetic medications and not on insulin. 6. Initial HbA1c less than 10%. 7. Patients with other stable, non-severe chronic conditions (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidemia) may be included if they have been on a stable prescribed oral treatment for at least 6 months. 8. Patients who have undergone dietary counselling for diabetes and are willing to maintain their habitual diabetes-friendly diet and usual physical activity patterns throughout the study period. 9. Willing to refrain from alcohol throughout the study period. 10. Must be literate in English or Bahasa Malaysia. Exclusion criteria The exclusion criteria will primarily focus on lifestyle behaviours or dietary practices that deviate from typical Malaysian lifestyles and while also considering behaviours that could significantly alter the gut microbiota. 1. Current smoking, alcohol use, or drug abuse. 2. Experienced more than a 5% change in body weight within the past 3 months. 3. Acute illness or significant cardiovascular, psychological, neurological, renal, or endocrine diseases, apart from diabetes. 4. Intolerance or allergy to test products. 5. Special dietary practices (e.g., intermittent fasting, vegetarian, ketogenic diet) that deviate from typical Malaysian dietary patterns. 6. Treatment with glucocorticoids, antibiotics or other medications and food supplements (e.g. probiotics) that can significantly alter intestinal function and gut microbiome. 7. Involvement in clinical trials within the last 3 months.