Completely removing sugar from one’s diet may be more harmful than previously thought, according to an animal study presented at the annual conference of the Endocrine Society, ENDO 2026, in Chicago.
“Completely eliminating sucrose from a low-fat diet can unexpectedly disrupt gut health and cause inflammation and metabolic dysfunction,” said Rasheed Ahmad, Ph.D., principal scientist and head of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait.
Researchers compared the effects of a sugar-free low-fat diet with a low-fat diet that included sucrose across two groups of mice over a 16-week period. They examined glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, metabolic hormones, gut microbial composition, and inflammation levels in the colon and liver.
The mice that followed the sugar-free diet showed reduced glucose control, insulin resistance, an imbalance in gut microbial flora, intestinal inflammation, and liver abnormalities, despite the fact that there were no significant differences in body weight compared to the control group.
“The findings suggest that completely removing sucrose from a low-fat diet may negatively affect gut microbial balance and metabolic health,” Ahmad added. “The study highlights the importance of maintaining balanced carbohydrate intake in the diet in order to support gut homeostasis and immune function.”
Until now, the consequences of restrictive diets that fully eliminate sugar from low-fat regimens had remained largely unknown. Ahmad noted that “this research may influence future dietary guidelines, placing emphasis on the importance of a healthy gut microbiome rather than simply limiting sugar intake.”
According to him, the study’s results could in the long term contribute to improved strategies for the prevention and management of metabolic disorders, fatty liver disease, and chronic inflammatory conditions.
“Studies like this reflect our Institute’s commitment to advancing evidence-based scientific discoveries that contribute to improved public health,” said Faisal Hamed Al-Refaei, MD, Deputy Director General of the Dasman Diabetes Institute.
