Gut Microbiota, Eating Patterns and Prediabetes

Gut microbiota, which include bacteria, fungi and viruses, have been found to influence obesity and other metabolic diseases. For example, gut bacteria diversity appears to be important for weight management and metabolic health. One study demonstrated that the diversity can influence obesity, because individuals with the least gut bacteria diversity are more prone to be obese. Another study indicated that a low level of gut bacteria diversity can give rise to insulin resistance which can lead to type 2 diabetes. And a more recent study has shown that there is a relationship between gut microbiota abundance, eating patterns, and prediabetes.

The study was done in Sweden. The investigators looked at 1726 subjects ranging in age from 18 to 71 years old. The group was 55% women, and the mean BMI of the group was 25.5. No one in the group had diabetes. Two food patterns were used to determine the relationship between diet, prediabetes prevalence, and gut microbiota composition. One of the food patterns was called the “Health-conscious” pattern, and the other food pattern was called the “Sugar and High-Fat Dairy” pattern. Examining fecal microbiota from the gut was part of the analysis.

The investigators found that for subjects that followed the "Health-conscious" eating pattern, there was a lower level of prediabetes. And there was a higher level of prediabetes for the women who followed the “Sugar and High-Fat Dairy” eating pattern.

For those subjects that followed the “Health-conscious” eating pattern, there was an abundance of gut microbiota that differed in amount from the microbiota found in the subjects that followed the “Sugar and High-Fat Dairy” eating pattern. This was especially true for the type of gut microbiota called Roseburia. For those subjects who followed the “Sugar and High-Fat Dairy” pattern, there was no significant amount of this type of microbiota in the fecal material.

Therefore, the abundance of microbiota -- in this case Roseburia -- is important for good metabolic health, including possibly lowering the risk of prediabetes. So, gut bacteria amount and diversity may be essential for good health.

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