Study Links High Sugar Intake to Weaker Gut Microbiome During Antibiotic Treatment

A team of U.S. scientists examined the diets of blood cancer patients hospitalized for stem cell transplantation and treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. By recording meals provided by the hospital kitchen, they linked higher consumption of sweets to a diminished diversity of gut bacteria. Stool analyses showed that patients with greater sugar intake harbored fewer beneficial microbes, giving opportunistic strains a foothold.

Professor Tove Fall, a molecular epidemiology expert at Uppsala University, cautioned that the results apply to this specific, immunosuppressed group and need confirmation in further research. She also noted that it is unclear whether other factors differed between high-sugar eaters and the rest of the cohort. Nonetheless, the study highlights the potential of dietary adjustments to support gut health when antibiotics severely disrupt the microbiome.