Drinking sugary sodas might change your gut bacteria more than eating the same amount of sugar in candy or cookies, because the liquid sugar goes through your stomach faster and reaches your intestines in bigger amounts.

1

Pro

0

Against

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

1

Community contributions welcome

1

Added sugars, gut microbiota, and host health

Narrative Review

Human & Animal

2025 Dec 31

This study says that whether sugar is in a drink or in food might change how it affects your gut bacteria, and drinks seem to cause more noticeable changes—just like the claim says.

Contradicting (0)

0

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Added sugars, gut microbiota, and host health

Score: 1

DOI: 10.1080/19490976.2025.2592431

Similar Assertions

Eating a lot of added sugar, especially in sodas and sweet drinks, might change the good bacteria in your gut, letting some bacteria that love sugar grow too much while reducing others that help keep your gut healthy—this could lead to leaks in your gut lining and inflammation that’s tied to diseases like diabetes.

1

0

78%

What you eat overall—like veggies, meat, or carbs—is probably what’s really changing your gut bacteria, not the sugar-free sweeteners in your diet.

1

0

70%