Sugar-Free Low-Fat Diet Harms Gut Health in Mice

A new study presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in Chicago suggests that completely eliminating sugar from a low-fat diet may harm gut health and worsen metabolic function, at least in mice. The research, conducted by scientists at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait, indicates that extreme dietary restriction can have unintended biological consequences.

The study involved feeding two groups of mice either a low-fat diet containing sucrose or a sucrose-free, low-fat diet for 16 weeks. Researchers tracked glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, gut microbiome composition, and inflammation markers in the colon and liver. Despite both groups maintaining similar body weights, the mice on the sugar-free diet developed poorer blood sugar control, insulin resistance, imbalances in gut microbes, intestinal inflammation, and changes associated with fatty liver disease.

Lead researcher Rasheed Ahmad, principal scientist at the Dasman Diabetes Institute, stated that completely removing sucrose from a low-fat diet may unexpectedly disrupt gut health and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction. He emphasized that the findings highlight the importance of balanced...