Cure T2D with Probiotics?

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is increasing all the time and it’s hard to stop but it’s also very preventable. T2D can be reversed just by eating well and exercising but unfortunately, those with T2D often can’t manage to achieve this and prefer to stay on the medication. Research is now looking at particular strains of bacteria (used as a probiotic) that may be able to transform the gut community of a T2D person to of that resembles someone without T2D.

This new research suggests that multi-strain probiotics that have more than seven million to 100 billion colony forming units may hold the key. Some of the bacteria they looked at included some familiar names such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Bifidobacterium lactis which appear to help with glycaemic control in those with T2D.

People with T2D have dysbiosis or an imbalance within their gut community along with continued inflammation. This environment increases the ratio of Firmicutes and decreases the Bacteroidetes which are two of the main players in your gut community.

The probiotics are those that can produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA) that can help with glucose regulation in the body. This will only happen if the right type of foods (prebiotic fibre and fibre in general) are available for these probiotics and that means a change in diet for this idea to work. Maybe this is motivation enough to help those with T2D turn their life around.

Reference

BARENGOLTS, E., SMITH, E. D., REUTRAKUL, S., TONUCCI, L. & ANOTHAISINTAWEE, T. 2019. The Effect of Probiotic Yogurt on Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes or Obesity: A Meta-Analysis of Nine Randomized Controlled Trials. Nutrients, 11, 671.