When fruit flies eat normal food, removing their gut bacteria makes their gut more leaky, but when they eat a lot of sugar, removing gut bacteria doesn't change gut leakiness.
Scientific Claim
Antibiotic treatment to disrupt the gut microbiome increases intestinal permeability in Drosophila melanogaster fed a control diet but not in those fed a high-sugar diet.
Original Statement
“Antibiotic feeding led to increased gut permeability during control sugar feeding conditions (Fig. 6G) but not during HS feeding (Fig. 6H) on this conventional diet.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The study used animal models without human randomization or control, so it can only show association, not causation. The language 'increases' appropriately reflects the study design.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Effect of dietary additives on intestinal permeability in both Drosophila and a human cell co-culture