Too Much Sugar Changes the Gut Microbiome

Overconsumption of sugars and sweeteners is associated with an increase in the cases of disorders such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The relationship between sugar and these disorders has been assumed to be partly via the gut microbiome. The microbiome is composed of the totality of microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and fungi present in the gastrointestinal tract.

The inference is that increased intake of sugars and sweeteners has changed the pools of carbohydrate accessible by the microbiome, forming unique environments in the gut filled by growing microbes, some of which are bacterium. The increased prevalence of these disorders is becoming a serious public health issue that is more prevalent than infectious diseases, resulting in greater number of deaths.

In both children and adults, the World Health Organization strictly endorses lowering the intake of added sugars and sweeteners to below 10 percent of the total energy consumption and proposes a further decrease to less than 5 percent.

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Several studies have focused on the harmful impacts of western dietary patterns on wellbeing and the intestine. While intake of dietary fat coming from fatty foods and fried foods is well evaluated, the precise effect of sugars and sweeteners is not properly accounted for, even though refined sugars and sweeteners total up to 40 percent of daily caloric consumption within the developed nations.