Quitting sugar completely may not be as beneficial as many people think. New research presented Saturday at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago, suggests that completely eliminating sugar from the diet may have unexpected effects on gut and metabolic health.
Researchers at Dasman Diabetes Research Institute in Kuwait looked at what happens when mice are fed a low-fat diet without sucrose, a common form of sugar. In this study, these animals were compared to a control group that was fed a low-fat diet containing sucrose for 16 weeks.
“Complete removal of sucrose from a low-fat diet can unexpectedly disrupt gut health and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction, highlighting that balanced nutrition is more important than simply eliminating sugar,” said Dr. Rashid Ahmad, chief scientist and head of the Department of Immunology and Microbiology at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait City, Kuwait. The institute was established by the Kuwait Science Promotion Foundation.
Carbohydrate-free diets are associated with metabolic changes
To assess the effects of sucrose removal, the researchers measured glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, circulating metabolic hormones, gut microbiota, and inflammation in both the colon and liver.
Despite maintaining similar body weights, mice fed a sucrose-free diet experienced several negative health changes compared to the control group. These include changes associated with poor blood sugar control, insulin resistance, gut microbial imbalance, intestinal inflammation, and fatty liver disease.
“Our findings suggest that completely removing sucrose from low-fat diets may have negative effects on gut microbiota and metabolic health,” said Ahmad. “This study highlights the importance of maintaining balanced dietary carbohydrates to support intestinal and immune homeostasis.”
Intestinal microbiota and dietary balance
Until now, little was known about the potential effects of highly restrictive low-fat diets that completely eliminate sugar, researchers said.
“This study may influence future dietary recommendations by highlighting the importance of maintaining a healthy gut microbiome, rather than focusing solely on carbohydrate restriction,” said Ahmad. “In the long term, these findings may help improve prevention and management strategies for metabolic disorders, fatty liver disease, and chronic inflammatory conditions.”
The research team believes the results highlight the need to consider overall dietary balance, rather than just focusing on reducing sugar intake.
“Studies like this reflect our institute’s commitment to advancing evidence-based scientific discoveries that improve public health outcomes and deepen our understanding of metabolic diseases,” said Faisal Hamed Al Rifaei, MD, acting director of the Dasman Diabetes Institute.
