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Sugar is necessary for human health. However, modern-day diets contain added sugars that are damaging to our health. Excessive added sugars in the diet negatively alter the gut microbiome, contributing to inflammation and the onset of diseases. Is sugar bad for the microbiome?

Sugar, like many other foods, has been demonized in recent years. But is it really as bad as people make it out to be? Or is it another fad in the diet world to push more products? Let’s see what the research says.

What is sugar, and how is it used in the body?

Our bodies need sugar for energy. Cells need energy to perform everyday tasks, and without sugar, they become slower and less efficient. Carbohydrates are where we get our sugars from. 

Monosaccharides contain one sugar molecule. These are referred to as simple sugars. Some examples of monosaccharides include:

  • Glucose
  • Galactose 
  • Fructose 

Disaccharides contain two sugar molecules. These are also considered simple carbohydrates. 

  • Sucrose
  • Lactose
  • Maltose

Polysaccharides are molecules with three or more sugar molecules. These are considered complex carbohydrates. 

It is often recommended to get more complex carbs than simple carbs. This is usually because they’re the harder-to-digest fibers that feed gut microbes. However, we get many of our simple carbs from fruits, veggies, and dairy products. So it’s important to have a wide variety of natural sugar sources.

The body breaks down all carbohydrates into glucose. Glucose is circulated through the bloodstream for use in different areas. The brain, nervous system, red blood cells, and other cells all need sugar for energy and to perform optimally. 

Sugars occur naturally in food sources like fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and meats. However, since the food industry has started, added sugars have been included in nearly every food we consume. Added sugars are used to make foods shelf-stable and improve flavor. They’re found in candy, baked goods, soup, cereal, oatmeal, drinks, and nearly every prepackaged item. 

Insulin is the body’s way of transporting glucose from the bloodstream into cells. Insulin’s more commonly known job is regulating blood sugar levels. Insulin is released from the pancreas when glucose enters the bloodstream. When people eat sugar constantly (whether they realize it or not), it puts extra strain on the pancreas. When insulin levels remain high and the body does not have time to rest and break things down, it becomes insulin-resistant. This is when diabetes can arise.

Along with diabetes, other conditions can arise with high sugar intake, including:

All of these issues are also associated with dysbiosis, or poor gut health. Let’s take a look at how sugar affects the gut. 

Is sugar bad for the microbiome?

Since the gut processes everything we eat, it’s simple to see that diet impacts gut health. However, since the end of digestion is a visit to the bathroom, most people don’t realize how much the digestive process affects the rest of their health. 

Gut health has a profound influence on the overall health of our entire body. In the colon, the gut microbiome, a vast collection of bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and fungi, exists and helps our body to digest carbohydrates that have survived the digestive system. 

When these microbes digest the remainder of the food, it is a process called fermentation. During this process, extra nutrients and postbiotics are unlocked and recirculated for the body to use. 

When the body is given too many added sugars, it disrupts the balance of the gut microbiome, a condition called dysbiosis. Excess sugars feed pathogenic, or disease-promoting, microbes. The result of these bacteria is damage to the intestinal tract by degrading the mucosal barrier. 

This damage leads to leaky gut, a condition that is associated with inflammation, disease progression, gastrointestinal distress, and extraintestinal complications.

Eating foods high in fiber and prebiotics provides the body with postbiotics, some of the most commonly known are short-chain fatty acids, like butyrate, propionate, and acetate. These molecules help to protect and repair the gut lining. However, in states of excessive sugar consumption, they are suppressed and unable to balance the damage being done. 

Studies have linked added sugar intake to the suppression of a healthy bacterial strain called Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron is a bacterium found in lean individuals that promotes human health. The study found that the added sugars, fructose and glucose, blocked the Roc protein, which helps to colonize the gut with beneficial bacteria like Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.  

How to Keep Sugar Intake Safe

A healthy intake of naturally occurring sugars does not result in these microbial disturbances. So do not be afraid to eat fruits and vegetables because of this. 

The best way to protect yourself from the damage of sugar is to be mindful of what you are eating. Looking at labels is important. Under the sugar section of the Nutritional Facts label, it will show you how much sugar is in something, and underneath that, it will say how much added sugar was used in the product. 

Take notice of serving sizes, too. You may think the entire box of candies at the movie theatre is a serving, but they are often more. 

Foods that are promoted as healthy often have high quantities of added sugar, as well. Granola bars, yogurt, and healthy cereals often have many more added sugars than you’d expect. 

The ingredients section is extremely important to look at, as well. Here is where you’ll see what kind of added sugars have been used. Some commonly used phrases that will let you know that added sugars are being used include:

  • The word sugar is in its name 
  • Syrups (high-fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, etc.)
  • Anything ending in -ose (fructose, lactose, dextrose, sucrose, etc.)
  • Nectars
  • Juice concentrates
  • Any sugar substitutes (acesulfame potassium, advantame, aspartame, neotame, saccharin, luo han guo, monk fruit, stevia leaf extracts, etc.)

Get your sugars in the form of natural sugars. Foods that contain natural sugars include:

  • Honey
  • Berries, apples, watermelon, grapes, and other whole fruits
  • Milk
  • Maple syrup (from the trees, not the sugar-only substitute)
  • Dates and other dried fruits
  • Sweet potatoes, corn, squashes, and other vegetables

While it may take some time to get used to reading labels before eating your food and making swaps for healthier sugars when you have cravings, it is well worth it to improve your health, protect your gut, and have a more enjoyable life. 

Read more on sugars and health here:

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