4 microbes may lead to new type 2 diabetes probiotics
A new study suggests that maintaining gut health to avoid diabetes may be little simpler than previously believed.
06 January, 2021
Credit: Design Cells/Adobe Stock
- Four out of trillions of gut microbes have been identified as being especially important for health.
- The microbes may play a role in obesity that can result in type 2 diabetes.
- Understanding the microbes' roles may lead to new probiotics for preventing and treating type 2 diabetes.
<p>There are about a thousand different bacterial species living in the human gut, a population of about 10 trillion individual microbial cells. Ideally, together they help us maintain our health, but things don't always work out that way. According to a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20313-x" target="_blank">new study</a> from Oregon State University (OSU), four microbes in particular are especially influential when it comes to whether or not we develop type 2 diabetes. The discovery of this important microbial quartet may lead to new probiotic approaches that prevent and treat the disease.</p>
Type 2 diabetes
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTQ5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDM2NDgwNn0.vSyl1bcAidqmGMS8RMM6Hye5VliMpC9AltPMI7PdDS4/img.jpg?width=980" id="649fd" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="48097d5e9638b775b46ca579b7cd160d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1440" data-height="960" />The problematic Western diet
Credit: Vasiliy/Adobe Stock
<p><span style="background-color: initial;"><a href="https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/what-insulin" target="_blank">Insulin</a></span> is a hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates the level of glucose—a sugar found in many carbohydrates—by controlling its absorption into liver, fat, and skeletal muscle cells. If there's too much glucose in the blood, insulin stores away the extra sugar in the liver for later use when your blood sugar is low, or if you need a jolt of energy.</p><p>With <a href="https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/type-2" target="_blank">type 2 diabetes</a>, the body no longer responds sufficiently to insulin. As a result, in an attempt to compensate and keep blood sugar at acceptable levels, the body increases its production of insulin, and this, over time, wears out the pancreas' ability to produce the hormone. At that point, the person requires injections of supplemental insulin to maintain blood sugar levels.</p><p>The most significant risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes is being overweight, which is typically a product of insufficient exercise and diet. "Type 2 diabetes is in fact a global pandemic and the number of diagnoses is expected to keep rising over the next decade," study co-leader Andrey Morgun of OSU tells the university's <a href="https://today.oregonstate.edu/news/research-shows-few-beneficial-organisms-could-play-key-role-treating-type-2-diabetes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Newsroom</a>. Driving this is the rising percentage of people who are <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight" target="_blank">overweight</a>. "The so-called 'western diet' — high in saturated fats and refined sugars," says Morgun, "is one of the primary factors. But gut bacteria have an important role to play in modulating the effects of diet."</p>Tracing dysbiosis
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTUxNy9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MDEzOTY2OX0.eXAjxosnEPKz0GKys-LJPS7exEl7Bj52bgafUHAC9SI/img.png?width=980" id="7e7cf" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="8ccfc6c33b2cf5285b3601915601cc56" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1440" data-height="810" />Lactobacillus johnsonii
Credit: Kathryn Cross/Ohio State University
<p>The OSU study explores the microbial mechanism behind "dysbiosis," or microbiome imbalance, and its role in type 2 diabetes.</p><p>Co-author OSU's Natalia Shulzhenko says, "Some studies suggest dysbiosis is caused by complex changes resulting from interactions of hundreds of different microbes. However, our study and other studies suggest that individual members of the microbial community, altered by diet, might have a significant impact on the host."</p><p>The researchers used <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6557635/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">transkingdom network analysis</a>, a recently developed data-driven, systems-biology methodology, to examine host-microbe interactions, looking for specific microbe species that might be involved in dysbiosis.</p><p>In fact, they found some. "The analysis pointed to specific microbes that potentially would affect the way a person metabolizes glucose and lipids," explains Morgun. "Even more importantly, it allowed us to make inferences about whether those effects are harmful or beneficial to the host. And we found links between those microbes and obesity." The first step was identifying four groups of closely related species, or operational taxonomical units (OTUs), that appeared to be associated with glucose management, and that may play a role in obesity as a precursor of type 2 diabetes.</p><p>The OTUs pointed to four microbial species in particular: <em>Lactobacillus johnsonii</em>, <em>Lactobacillus gasseri</em>, <em>Romboutsia ilealis</em>, and <em>Ruminococcus gnavus</em>. As Shulzhenko explains, "The first two microbes are considered potential 'improvers' to glucose metabolism, the other two potential 'worseners.' The overall indication is that individual types of microbes and/or their interactions, and not community-level dysbiosis, are key players in type 2 diabetes." (Previous research has also associated <em>Romboutsia ilealis</em>, or "<em>R. ilealis</em>", with obesity.)</p><p>That <em>Lactobacillus</em> is an improver is encouraging, as it's a species often found in existing probiotic supplements, yogurts, fermented foods, and some dairy products. Shulzhenko says that in "looking at all of the metabolites, we found a few that explain a big part of probiotic effects caused by Lactobacilli treatments."</p>Of mice and men. And women.
<img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNTI2MTU3My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjUzODQ0Nn0.ng4zjkYhIX8qdERs5pBRnB-6A3omKxFR9026dT19-Sw/img.jpg?width=980" id="21fd2" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3e9717ab4bd27bc26626b966d12d0ca2" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" data-width="1440" data-height="792" />Credit: Christoph Burgstedt/Adobe Stock
<p>To confirm their suspicions, the researchers performed an experiment with mice, putting them on the mouse equivalent of the Western diet, and then feeding them improver and worsener microbe species for eight weeks.</p><p>Mice that were fed the two<em> Lactobacilli</em> improvers proved healthier in two ways. Their liver health—specifically, the efficiency with which they metabolized lipids and glucose—was improved, and they wound up with a lower <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7140880/" target="_blank">fat mass index</a> rating.</p><p>Comparing the results of their mice experiment with data from previous research on humans, the pattern held. The presence of more improver microbes was correlated with a lower BMI, and a stronger presence of worsens was associated with a higher <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html" target="_blank">BMI</a>. Says Shulzhenko, "We found <em>R. ilealis</em> to be present in more than 80% of obese patients, suggesting the microbe could be a prevalent <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pathobiont" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pathobiont</a> in overweight people."</p><p>The researchers hope that their findings can help lead to new prevention and treatment approaches for type 2 diabetes. Summarizes Morgun:</p><p style="margin-left: 20px;">"Our study reveals potential probiotic strains for treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity as well as insights into the mechanisms of their action. That means an opportunity to develop targeted therapies rather than attempting to restore 'healthy' microbiota in general."</p>
Keep reading
Show less
Would You Take An Exercise Pill?
Lazy but want to stay in shape? You may soon be able to have it both ways, thanks to a new pill in testing from GlaxoSmithKline.
04 November, 2017
Wikicommons, W.carter
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Since humans began ingesting nutrients and medicines in pill form, the possibility of fixing every problem via this mechanism has tantalized the imagination. Depressed? Angry? Unable to focus? Sexually dysfunctional? Someone, somewhere has a pill for that. How about a pill that will exercise for you?<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Okay, that’s not quite how it works, but the idea of providing the same physiological mechanisms of exercise—namely, cardiovascular health and weight loss—by swallowing a pill is closer than you might think.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">One pill in particular (GW501516) <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/a-pill-to-make-exercise-obsolete" target="_blank"><span class="s2">mimics the effects of endurance exercise</span></a> on the gene PPAR-delta. When 516 binds to this gene it boosts a signal to burn fat. So far this experiment is working in two mice, dubbed Couch Potato Mouse and Lance Armstrong Mouse.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">These mice are residents of San Diego’s Salk Institute, where both enjoy a plentiful diet of a fat-sugar mix that tastes like cookie dough. Both rodents are also sedentary; Lance isn’t out huffing it on a wheel all day. The only difference is that Couch Potato does not get his daily 516, which is why he’s fat and greasy. Lance, by contrast, exhibits tons of energy while maintaining a sleek figure.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">516 was initially created by GlaxoSmithKline when chemical biologist Tim Wilson was looking for ways to treat diabetics. Initial results on obese monkeys showed an increase in good cholesterol and a reduction in bad cholesterol, insulin levels, and triglycerides. At the time Wilson believed he stumbled upon a metabolic syndrome wonderdrug.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">His hopes held until 2007, when the pharmaceutical giant shelved 516 as long-term toxicity effects started rolling in. Animal studies showed evidence of rapidly developing cancers in a number of organs. Without a seventy-year trial the company was concerned the FDA would not feel the consequences were worth lower cholesterol.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Cue fitness fanatics. Around the time 516 was being shelved, molecular and developmental biologist Ron Evans started injecting the above mice. Though the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) banned 516 in 2009, steroid message boards are filled with anecdotal test cases, in part due to evidence from Evans’s lab. The drug prevents you from “hitting the wall” too soon due to a <a href="https://www.outsideonline.com/1898181/faster-higher-squeakier?page=all" target="_blank"><span class="s2">boost in your reserves</span></a> of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). With a bit of tweaking Evans hopes this switch becomes genetically encoded:<span> </span></span></p><blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">We proved that endurance could be genetically engineered through this particular switch. And the switch stayed on, and could be passed on as a genetic trait. You could have a whole lineage of long-distance-running mice.</span></p>
</blockquote><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Even without actually running, the mice remain svelte and energized. Could it work in humans? Evans is responsible for letting WADA in on his research before his famous study, published in the journal <em>Cell</em>, set the Internet on fire. Cycling and running competitors were monitored, but not the ripped dude snapping shirtless selfies in the gym. For roughly $1,000 per ten grams ungodly bursts of endurance arrive packaged at your door.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Which is, in many ways, what Evans wants: a genetic enhancement that makes you last longer while growing stronger. What of those whose goal is to binge on <em>The Deuce</em> while shoveling in pints of cookie dough ice cream? We’re already attuned to expecting instant gratification for as little work possible. What if no work provides even better benefits?<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">The seduction of quick results combined with a lack of foresight regarding potentially crippling effects has undone our fantasies time and again. This is our genetic inheritance, an ongoing battle between energy conservation and nomadic wandering. Since we no longer need to hunt, conservation wins out. We have to motivate ourselves to put in the work to stay healthy.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">Which is quite easy for some, sometimes to unhealthy degrees. “Chronic cardio” is one example of trim waistline obsessed gym rats. Pills like 516 and others—there are a number of others coming down the pipeline—might get you that extra mile on training day, but it could also get you to skip every mile. It’s hard to see the benefit of not moving at all, given the evolutionary necessity of movement. But if rocking rock-hard abs for your million Instagram followers is possible without the planks and HIIT, we’d be fooling ourselves if believing many won’t try.</span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">To counteract sedentary habits the fitness industry now has $3 trillion in assets worldwide. Every year American health clubs rake in $27 billion from 55 million members. Sure, Planet Fitness counts on you <em>not</em> going for its success, but many take fitness seriously. Endurance pills might appeal to both ends: those looking to push their workouts to the next level and those who would rather just enjoy the free pizza at the front desk.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">How to navigate these unchartered waters? University of California, Riverside biologist Theodore Garland suggests an ideal solution. Instead of designing drugs to replace exercise, or even to enhance it, how about a pill getting you on the treadmill or swinging a kettlebell <a href="https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/11/06/a-pill-to-make-exercise-obsolete" target="_blank"><span class="s2">in the first place</span></a>?<span> </span></span></p><blockquote>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Personally, I’ve been more interested in the possibility of drugs that would make us more motivated to exercise.</span></p>
</blockquote><p class="p1"><span class="s1">We can’t stop the exercise pills. They appeal to too many people brought up on too many science fiction tales. 516 might not survive clinical scrutiny, but given the complete lack of oversight of nutritional supplements such self-prescribed performance enhancers will soon be as common as green tea and acai weight-loss pills.<span> </span></span></p><p class="p1"><span class="s1">A little boost is not necessarily bad—caffeine is my pre-workout and pre-writing ritual. Before the onslaught begins, though, we should at least understand the costs. A few years of increased endurance aren’t worth a complete lack of it in the end.<span> </span></span></p><p>--</p><p><span>Derek is the author of </span><em><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Motion-Training-Optimal-Health/dp/1631440721/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476996488&sr=8-1&keywords=whole+motion" target="_blank">Whole Motion: Training Your Brain and Body For Optimal Health</a></em><span>. Based in Los Angeles, he is working on a new book about spiritual consumerism. Stay in touch on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/DerekBeresdotcom" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span> and </span><a href="http://www.twitter.com/derekberes" target="_blank">Twitter</a><span>.</span></p>
Keep reading
Show less
Nestlé Claims Ability to Slash Sugar from Chocolate Without Sacrificing Taste
Scientists at the food giant reportedly found a novel way of altering the molecular structure of sugar.
03 December, 2016
A display of Kit Kat singles.
For those of us obsessed with chocolate, including yours truly, this announcement sounds too good to be true. After all, the food industry has made some extraordinary claims about sweeteners in the past that didn’t really pan out. (I’m looking at you, Stevia). Turns out they are all bad for you. And remember those fat-free chips with olestra that were supposed to give you that same great snacking experience, without the added heart disease or expanded waistline? They caused an embarrassing little side effect known as “anal leakage.” So excuse me, Nestlé, for my skepticism.
<p>According to the Swiss food giant, scientists in their employ have found a way to cut the sugar content of chocolate up to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/dec/01/nestle-discovers-way-to-slash-sugar-in-chocolate-without-changing-taste" target="_blank" title="The Guardian ">40%</a> without sacrificing taste. Researchers have altered the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-11-30/nestle-scientists-find-method-to-cut-sugar-in-chocolate-by-40" target="_blank" title="Bloomberg News">molecular structure of sugar,</a> hollowing it out in such a way where it tastes sweeter when it engages the tongue, yet dissolves faster, leading to a smaller amount being ingested.</p> <p>Using this unique process, Nestlé plans to reduce the sugar content in all of its confectioneries, including the Kit Kat and the ever popular Butterfinger. This comes on the heels of many US cities such as New York and Philadelphia, and other nations including the UK and Mexico, implementing sugar taxes on such products. Since 1980, childhood obesity and diabetes has quadrupled, and research has shown that such disincentives can positively influence behavior. PepsiCo Inc. and others have their own teams of scientists searching for ways to cut sugar. Since Nestlé plans to patent their process, the insight from the filed papers could lead competitors to their own processes.</p> <p>Sugar is nothing more than empty calories. Eating too much of it can pack on the pounds, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. More worrisome still, a <a href="http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/eating-too-much-added-sugar-increases-the-risk-of-dying-with-heart-disease-201402067021" target="_blank" title="Harvard">high sugar intake</a> can elevate your risk of heart disease, regardless of whether or not you are overweight. For Americans, sugary drinks are the biggest threat, particularly sodas, fruit juices, sweetened iced teas, and sports drinks. Candy, ice cream, and baked goods are significant contributors, however.</p> <p><img type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xODQwOTA3NS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1NzI4NTYxMH0.MrqkxgPtaKI_PorTxt_t0hiQ5mwaPJz5Szx-SJDQ6Kw/img.jpg?width=980" id="51664" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="231416b3bd4fcab1e6d7dfa49b6f746a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image"> <em>Nestlé, Pepsi Co., and Frito Lay among others have recently vowed to reduce unhealthy ingredients in products.</em></p> <p>Health experts advise five percent of daily calories come from sugar, maximum. According to the American Heart Association, a man’s limit is nine teaspoons or <a href="https://authoritynutrition.com/how-much-sugar-per-day/" target="_blank" title="Authority Nutrition ">37.5 grams per day</a>. That’s 150 calories. For women its six teaspoons or 25 grams per day, equaling 100 calories.</p> <p>Your average Kit Kat contains 23.8 grams of sugar. So just this candy bar alone is almost a full day’s intake. Americans are consuming an average of <a href="http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/HealthyEating/HealthyDietGoals/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-Sugar_UCM_306725_Article.jsp" target="_blank" title="The American Heart Association">20 teaspoons of sugar per day</a>, more than twice the recommended amount.</p> <p>Stefan Catsicas is Nestlé’s chief technology officer. Though he wouldn’t speak of the details which are proprietary, Catsicas said the process entails hollowing out sugar crystals. The company is patenting this method, and will use it with all its products by <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38167241" target="_blank" title="The BBC">2018</a>. Nestlé began investigating sugar reduction due to pressure from governments, consumer advocate agencies, and consumers themselves. The obesity epidemic worldwide is rising significantly, and governments around the world are growing more and more concerned.</p> <p>So how did they stumble upon this molecular miracle? “Real food in nature is not something smooth and homogeneous,” Catsicas told <em>Bloomberg News</em>. “It’s full of cavities, crests and densities. So by reproducing this variability, we are capable to restore the same sensation.” Meanwhile, <a href="http://people.com/food/nestle-reduce-sugar-in-chocolate-research/" target="_blank" title="People">Pepsi Co.</a> is reportedly experimenting with a similar process with salt. Say hello to healthier Cheetos… maybe. </p> <p>To learn more about how to eat healthier click here: </p> <div class="video-full-card-placeholder" data-slug="rehab-your-taste-buds-getting-hooked-on-wholesome-foods" style="border: 1px solid #ccc;">
<div class="rm-shortcode" data-media_id="Z8Yz3Q0X" data-player_id="FvQKszTI" data-rm-shortcode-id="fcca849740f04f65114aaea40ecd2113">
<div id="botr_Z8Yz3Q0X_FvQKszTI_div" class="jwplayer-media" data-jwplayer-video-src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/Z8Yz3Q0X-FvQKszTI.js">
<img src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/thumbs/Z8Yz3Q0X-1920.jpg" class="jwplayer-media-preview">
</div>
<script src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/Z8Yz3Q0X-FvQKszTI.js"></script>
</div>
</div>
Keep reading
Show less
Popular
