This is the season for pulling cucumbers and cherry tomatoes from the garden, and plenty of us decide it's the moment to go vegetable-forward and swear off sweets for good. But a recently published animal study found that this approach led somewhere unexpected.
Removing sugar entirely made blood sugar control worse
Researchers split mice into two groups, both on a low-fat diet. One group had sugar (sucrose) removed from their food completely, while the other kept a small amount of sugar in the mix. When the two groups were compared after a set period, the mice that ate no sugar at all showed weaker blood sugar control. Their blood markers of inflammation rose as well, and there were signs of fat building up in the liver.
It was the opposite of what you'd expect—after all, this was a low-fat diet with the sugar stripped out too, which sounds like it should be the healthier option.
The balance of gut bacteria shifted too
In the group that cut sugar entirely, the makeup of the gut microbiome changed as well. Gut microbes respond quickly to changes in diet. The group that kept a little sugar held on to relatively more bacterial diversity, while the group with no sugar saw its proportions shift. The researchers believe this change likely played a role in the differences in blood sugar control and inflammation.
Cutting back and cutting out drew different responses from the body
None of this means you can eat sweets without limits. What the researchers emphasized was an approach that looks after a balanced diet and a healthy gut at the same time. Cutting sugar back and removing it completely produced different responses in the body.
That said, this was a study in mice. We can't assume the same results would hold in people, and research on the question is still ongoing. Even so, the possibility that an extreme sugar cutoff could strain the gut and blood sugar control is worth keeping in mind.
Looking after your gut with garden vegetables
Dietary fiber plays a key role in maintaining gut bacterial diversity. Leafy greens grown in your own garden—ssam greens (the tender leaves for wrapping), chard, and curled mallow (a욱)—are rich in fiber and create a welcoming environment for gut bacteria.
- Add at least a plateful of leafy greens to every meal.
- A piece of seasonal fruit or a naturally small touch of sweetness may do more to maintain a healthy gut than cutting sweetness out entirely.
- A plan to eat more vegetables is easier to stick with than a goal to give up sweets altogether.
Try topping a plate of ssam greens fresh from today's garden with a few cherry tomatoes.
Reference: Animal study on the blood sugar and gut bacteria effects of a sugar-free diet (2024)
