Microbiome on a Low-Carb Diet: Who Lives in the Gut Without Sugar

Bacteria that quickly ferment simple sugars and starch — their product is gas and substances that influence appetite. Yeasts that love sugar. The more sugar, the more of them, and the stronger the cravings — the circle closes. Microbiome diversity on a “Western” diet declines, and this is linked to inflammation, weight, and insulin resistance in dozens of studies.

The first two weeks are transitional noise: some bacteria starve and die, while others have not yet grown; hence bloating and irregular stools. By the third or fourth week, those that digest vegetable fiber and produce short-chain fatty acids grow — butyric acid first and foremost. Butyric acid feeds the cells of the intestinal wall, reduces inflammation, and improves insulin sensitivity. Cravings for sweets decrease not through willpower, but because there is no one left to demand them. About transitional bloating — bloating.

Diversity is the key: not the same broccoli every day, but 20-30 different plants per week — vegetables, greens, herbs, nuts, seeds, berries, spices. Each plant species feeds its own bacteria. Soluble fiber — flax, chia, avocado — is the “tastiest” for butyric-acid producers. Fermented foods every day — live cultures. Breaks without food — time for cleanup. And none of this requires a probiotic from a pharmacy. About fermented foods — fermented food every day, about fiber — fiber without grains.