Nature paper reports sugar-rich foods exacerbate antibiotic-induced disruption of the gut microbiome
1 October 2026
A paper titled 'Sugar-rich foods exacerbate antibiotic-induced microbiome disruption' was published in the journal Nature on 30 September 2026. The study found that the intake of sweets and sugars during antibiotic exposure predicted exacerbated microbial dysbiosis, manifesting as lowered alpha-diversity and greater expansion of the pathobiont Enterococcus. Experiments in mice also showed that sucrose supplementation increased and prolonged antibiotic-induced Enterococcus expansion. The authors conclude that avoiding a diet rich in simple sugars during antibiotic treatment may mitigate microbiota disruption.
In plain words
Dysbiosis Microbial dysbiosis — An imbalance in the community of microbes living in the gut, often following antibiotic use.
Pathobiont Pathobiont — A microbe that normally lives harmlessly in the body but can cause disease when conditions change.