Mouse Study Links 16-Week Sugar-Free Low-Fat Diet to Insulin Resistance and Liver Inflammation
Updated
Updated · Medical News Today · Jun 13
Mouse Study Links 16-Week Sugar-Free Low-Fat Diet to Insulin Resistance and Liver Inflammation
3 articles · Updated · Medical News Today · Jun 13
Summary
Twelve mice fed a sucrose-free, low-fat diet for 16 weeks developed impaired glucose tolerance and reduced insulin sensitivity despite similar calorie intake and no extra weight gain versus controls.
Researchers also found lower fasting insulin, shifts in appetite and metabolic hormones, and major gut-microbiome changes, including reduced beneficial Lactobacillus murinus and more bacteria tied to inflammation.
The sugar-free group showed inflammation in the colon and liver, along with signs of fatty liver disease, suggesting the diet change affected both gut and metabolic health.
Presented at ENDO 2026, the findings have not been peer reviewed, and outside doctors said they should not be read as evidence that sugar is healthy or that human low-sugar diets are harmful.