Diabetes linked to poor gut health

A study published recently showed that gut health is vitally important in reducing the inflammation associated with Type 2 Diabetes. Metabolic syndrome which characterises Type 2 Diabetes produces inflammation which in turn increases the risk of further disease such as heart disease and stroke.

Although most people suspect that a poor gut biome is a causal factor in these inflammatory diseases, the mechanism has been elusive until now.
We know that millions, in fact trillions of bacteria inhabit the gut and live together with us quite happily. They help provide energy, nutrients like vitamin K, boost our immune system and keep bad bacteria out. They either live in the gut lumen or in the mucous lining the gut wall. In IBD (Inflammatory bowel disease), it has been proven that possibly due to poor quality mucous, the bacteria can break through and invade the cells lining the gut wall, setting up the inflammatory process.

In this study, Chassaing and his team examined subjects who had Type 2 diabetes and were also having a colonoscopy. They took biopsies and showed that the further in the bacteria had invaded the gut lining, the worse their diabetes. Body mass index was also higher across the board in these cases.
So now we have a mechanism, but what’s the cause?

Another study showed that emulsifiers (food additives) produced low grade inflammation in the gut. This resulted in obesity/metabolic syndrome. Perhaps the emulsifiers commonly used in processed foods alters gut mucous so that bacteria can cross it easily and invade the gut lining, thus causing inflammation and provoking Type 2 Diabetes.

The Take Home Message
Its looks like another piece of evidence, showing that processed foods and food additives are not harmless and can lead to inflammatory diseases like Type 2 diabetes by altering gut mucous. So it pays to eat fresh food and organic fruit and vegetables until we know more. Processed and junk foods contain bad fats and also emulsifiers, so we need to avoid them and add healthy clean fats to our diet, to prevent inflammation. This might reduce the risk of Type 2 Diabetes.

If you want to know more, our Diabetes Nutrition Advisor course is perfect for those who want to help people with Diabetes.

Find out more about our courses here