Citation
(2008), "Glucose control", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 38 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2008.01738eab.010
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2008, Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Glucose control
Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition & Food Science, Volume 38, Issue 5.
Researchers made a new and exciting discovery linking the composition of bacteria in the gut with blood glucose control. Studies at the Nestle Research Center, Lausanne, Switzerland demonstrate that modulating gut microbiota improves the regulation of glycemic control and reverses the insulin resistance that occurs with obesity.
The full article published in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
Obese, diabetic animal models were given antibiotics to appropriately modify their gut microflora. The robust benefit of the modulated microbiota was evidenced by significantly enhanced oral glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, restored hepatic glycogen storage and reduced hepatic fat accumulation. Additionally, results revealed that the modified gut microbiota influenced whole body glucose homeostasis, independent of food intake or obesity.
Gut microbial communities have been shown to play a critical role in the development of innate immunity, production of essential vitamins and other biological processes. Nestle scientists took this knowledge a step further to determine that the presence or absence of specific bacteria in the gut may modulate the systemic inflammation which contributes to insulin resistance and obesity.
“Our results strongly support the idea that modulating gut microbiota could be beneficial for improving glycemic control and insulin sensitivity”, said Research scientist Dr Chieh Jason Chou.