Eliminating sucrose from a low-fat diet worsened glucose tolerance and altered the gut microbiome in mice over 16 weeks, according to results presented on Saturday, June 13, 2026, at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago.
Mice fed a sucrose-free low-fat diet for 16 weeks developed impaired glucose tolerance and reduced insulin sensitivity compared with mice fed a sucrose-containing low-fat diet, according to an abstract and conference news release tied to ENDO 2026.
Researchers also reported major shifts in gut microbial diversity and composition based on 16S rRNA sequencing, including depletion of some short-chain fatty acid–producing bacteria and enrichment of taxa described as more pro-inflammatory or stress-adapted. The team linked these changes with colonic inflammation, describing tissue damage and increased immune-cell infiltration in the colon.
The investigators further reported liver findings consistent with activation of the so-called gut–liver axis, including microvesicular fat accumulation and lobular inflammation, alongside increased liver inflammatory signals.
“Completely removing sucrose from a low-fat diet may unexpectedly disrupt gut health and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, highlighting that balanced nutrition is more important than simply eliminating sugar,” said Rasheed Ahmad, Ph.D., principal scientist at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait City, who presented the work.
Ahmad also said the results underscore the importance of maintaining “balanced dietary carbohydrates to support gut and immune homeostasis.”
Faisal Hamed Al-Refaei, M.D., acting director general of the Dasman Diabetes Institute, said studies like this reflect the institute’s commitment to evidence-based research aimed at improving public health outcomes.
The findings were reported from an animal study presented at a scientific meeting and have not, on their own, established that removing sucrose would have the same effects in humans.
