Scientists in Japan found a certain kind of good bacteria in our gut that could help us fight off obesity and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is a disease where the body doesn’t use sugar properly.
Normally, our pancreas makes a hormone called insulin that helps to use or store sugar from our food. But in diabetes, this process doesn’t work as it should, leading to high sugar levels in the blood.
The researchers found that having more of this good gut bacteria might help the body use sugar better and avoid diabetes.
Why Does it Matter?
It’s important to know that our guts are full of bacteria—trillions of them! These tiny bugs help break down food we can’t digest ourselves.
But not all gut bacteria are good for us. Some might actually make it harder for the body to use sugar properly, which is a big deal because this can lead to weight gain and diseases like diabetes.
In this study, the scientists looked at stool samples from over 300 adults to see what kind of bacteria were there and how they might be linked to diabetes.
They found that people with problems in using sugar properly had more of a certain bad bacteria in their gut. On the other hand, those who didn’t have this issue had more of a good bacteria that might actually help fight diabetes.
How Did They Test it?
First, the scientists checked the types of sugar in people’s stool samples and compared this to how well their body used sugar. They found that people who had trouble using sugar also had more of it in their poop.
Then they found out what kind of bacteria were in these people’s guts. The bad bacteria were from a group called Lachnospiraceae.
People who had lots of this bacteria also had sugar problems. But, the good bacteria were from a group called Bacteroidales, which seemed to help with sugar use.
They didn’t stop there! To be extra sure, they also did experiments with mice. They found that giving mice the good bacteria helped lower their blood sugar levels. The most helpful bacteria was one called A. indistinctus.
The leader of the study, Hiroshi Ohno, says that these findings might help doctors figure out who’s at risk for diabetes.
Tests could be developed to look for the bad bacteria in people’s guts as a sign that they might develop diabetes later.
There’s also the exciting possibility of using good bacteria as a treatment. Imagine taking a pill full of these good bugs to help your body use sugar better!
But Ohno warns we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. Before doctors can start prescribing this kind of treatment, more research is needed to make sure it’s safe and really works.
Right now, most probiotics you can buy don’t have the good bacteria from this study. But who knows? In the future, we might see them on the shelves as a new way to fight off diabetes.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about new way to achieve type 2 diabetes remission, and one avocado a day keeps diabetes at bay.
For more information about diabetes, please see recent studies about 5 dangerous signs you have diabetes-related eye disease, and results showing why pomegranate is super fruit for people with diabetes.
The study was published in Nature.
Follow us on Twitter for more articles about this topic.
Copyright © 2023 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
