University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor Tongzhi Wu Receives Funding to Study Sweeteners’ Effects on Type 2 Diabetes

Reducing sugar consumption, particularly in beverages, has been the focus of global health policies to decrease the risk of metabolic disease, including type 2 diabetes.

The resultant shift to low-calorie sweeteners (LCS), with their promise of sweetness without energy, has been dramatic, with global consumption of LCS increasing by 36 per cent between 2007-2019.

However, a recent World Health Organisation report highlights that, like sugar, high habitual consumption of LCS is also associated with increased risks of type 2 diabetes and all-cause mortality.

Understanding how LCS affects glucose homeostasis represents the critical next step to inform consumers, health professionals, policy makers, and industry, on the safest use of LCS, and develop effective interventions for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Associate Professor Wu, an externally funded research fellow in the Adelaide Medical School, was one of six recipients of the 2025 Diabetes Australia Research Program grants.

“The grant will support our project to gain deep insights into the metabolic actions of different LCS in people with type 2 diabetes,” said Associate Professor Wu.

“We will specifically compare the glycaemic effects of well-absorbed (and renally excreted) sweeteners and poorly absorbed (and intestinally excreted) sweeteners to flavourless controls in a group of people with type 2 diabetes.

“The current clinical guidelines continue to recommend consumption of LCS over sugar as a positive health behaviour to prevent and manage diabetes.

“This study will yield causal evidence to inform the public about the metabolic impact of LCS in people with type 2 diabetes.”

Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research), University of Adelaide, congratulated Associate Professor Wu.

“This funding will support Associate Professor Wu to continue his important and much-needed work in this space, that will provide evidence-led information helpful for people living with diabetes,” said Professor Middelberg.