High sugar intake may worsen antibiotic harm to gut bacteria
A study of 173 hospitalized cancer patients tracked meals and gut microbiome changes around antibiotic treatment. Each additional 100 grams of sugar in the 48 hours before treatment was linked to a 21% greater drop in bacterial diversity and more Enterococcus faecium. Mouse experiments also found that sucrose combined with an antibiotic boosted gut Enterococcus levels.
The investigation followed 173 patients hospitalized for blood cancers, logging 9,419 meals and daily microbiome samples. It examined sugar eaten in the two days before antibiotics. Every extra 100 grams was tied to a 21% larger loss of bacterial variety, plus more Enterococcus faecium, a species associated with hard-to-treat infections.
In mice, combining the antibiotic biapenem with sucrose raised gut Enterococcus levels 16.3-fold by day three and 33.4-fold by day six. The paper appeared in Nature on Sept. 30. Researchers from NYU Langone, City of Hope, and Memorial Sloan Kettering conducted the work.
This may matter most to hospitalized patients, especially those receiving antibiotics for cancer care or marrow transplants, and to clinicians advising diets. If confirmed, reducing sweets around treatment could offer a low-cost way to protect gut microbial diversity and possibly lower risks from resistant Enterococcus. Yet the evidence remains observational and animal-based, so patients may wish to consult clinicians before altering care plans; trials are needed before broad dietary recommendations.