Study Finds 0-Sugar Diet Worsened Mice's Metabolism in 12-Animal Trial
Updated
Updated · The Conversation · Jun 20
Study Finds 0-Sugar Diet Worsened Mice's Metabolism in 12-Animal Trial
3 articles · Updated · The Conversation · Jun 20
Summary
Six mice per group on a strict zero-sugar, low-fat diet stayed slim but lost the ability to clear glucose properly and showed hormone signals of gut distress.
Researchers traced the damage to the gut microbiome: removing simple sugars starved beneficial bacteria, cut key byproducts that fuel gut-lining cells, and weakened the intestinal barrier.
That shift let harmful bacteria and toxins spread, triggering inflammation; related reports on the 16-week experiment also noted insulin resistance and signs of fatty liver.
The findings do not overturn advice to cut added sugar in high-fat, high-calorie diets, but they challenge the idea that eliminating every trace of sugar is inherently healthier.