Image source: Chalmers University of Technology“Our study was able to show changes in the gut microbiota several years before the disease developed.
Today, 800 million people are living with the disease, and more than 90% of cases are type 2 diabetes.
Studies of the human gut microbiome, namely the bacteria and other microorganisms that live in our intestinal tract, have shown that certain changes in the gut microbiota can be seen in people with type 2 diabetes.
Of all the participants in the study, 383 developed diabetes after an average follow-up period of five years, and early common denominators were observed in their gut microbiota.
“We observed nine bacteria in the microbiome that are associated with the risk of developing the disease.
Image source: Chalmers University of Technology
“Our study was able to show changes in the gut microbiota several years before the disease developed. This could indicate that the composition of the microbiome plays a role in the development of diabetes, and not the other way round,” says Gaël Toubon, a postdoctoral researcher in food science at Chalmers’ Department of Life Sciences.
The number of adults with diabetes has more than doubled since the 1990s, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Today, 800 million people are living with the disease, and more than 90% of cases are type 2 diabetes. Studies of the human gut microbiome, namely the bacteria and other microorganisms that live in our intestinal tract, have shown that certain changes in the gut microbiota can be seen in people with type 2 diabetes.
The new comprehensive study has shown that changes in the bacteria found in the gut microbiota can be seen several years before the disease develops, and could therefore predict who will go on to develop it. As part of the EU project HealthFerm, the Chalmers researchers led a large epidemiological study involving 4,685 Swedish adults, whose microbiomes were examined in stool samples. Of all the participants in the study, 383 developed diabetes after an average follow-up period of five years, and early common denominators were observed in their gut microbiota.
“We observed nine bacteria in the microbiome that are associated with the risk of developing the disease. One very interesting finding is that an individual’s dietary habits appear to play a role, determining whether certain bacteria in the gut are beneficial or harmful,” says Gaël Toubon.
