Private MD News

International study looks into gut bacteria in diabetics

Category: Diabetes

Chinese and Danish researchers have observed a clear difference between bacteria found in healthy digestive organs and the guts of individuals who screened positive for type 2 diabetes in a blood test. This information can be viewed in the journal Nature.

Analysts at the University of Copenhagen (UC) say they can't tell yet if the irregular gut bacteria is related to the cause of diabetes or if the reserve scenario is true, but they hope their findings will eventually lead to earlier diagnoses and better treatment options for individuals receiving a blood test that indicates insulin deficiency.

"It is important to point out that our discovery demonstrates a correlation," said professor Karsten Kristiansen from the UC Department of Biology. "The big question now is whether the changes in gut bacteria can affect the development of type 2 diabetes or whether the changes simply reflect that the person is suffering from type 2 diabetes."

High amounts of gut bacteria - microbes that live in the human digestive system, were also shown to enhance fat absorption in a study appearing earlier this month in the journal Cell Host and Microbe.