Health begins in your gut

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is a common saying. But who knew that the stomach and its microbes can be a way to predict disease conditions. The microbiota in gut is an important area of research in recent times. Scientists found a relationship between gut microbiota and lifestyle diseases. Important thing to note is that gut microbiota of each individual is unique and it is predetermined.Poor life style especially eating habits alters the gut microbiota. It’s interesting that the microbial environment in a person’s gut with asthma, inflammatory and irritable bowel disease, and obesity is surely different from people without these conditions. The other diseases like psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, and mood disorders also manifest in gut flora changes. Hence the connection between gut flora and diabetes is also not surprising. So the stomach does become the starting point of almost all physical conditions. This was a thought which was being considered by researchers for some time as there was an established relationship between some diseases like asthma etc. and gut flora.
A recent study published in Scientific Reports looked at the phenomenon of the linkage of gut micro flora and diabetes. In this study the researchers were able to identify certain metabolites which when produced by the microbes in the gut lead to better outcomes for diabetics. The study was able to identify the main difference to be indolepropionic acid and certain lipid metabolites between diabetics and non-diabetics. Metabolites are small molecules necessary as intermediaries for proper metabolic functions. The indolepropionic acid gets produced when gut microbes interact with high fiber and whole grain foods. This somehow leads to better production of insulin by the pancreas and hence better sugar metabolism. These lipid based metabolites in general have a very positive impact on insulin resistance and reduce its incidence. These lipids share an inverse relationship with saturated fats in the diet. Since it’s really complicated to study each microbe, the researchers in this study looked at the metabolites produced in the gut and identified the metabolites that are directly interacted with insulin management. An intervention was carried out between the diabetic group and the non-diabetic group as well so as to exactly pin point the metabolites. Following healthy eating habits i.e. rationalized balanced diet improves health and prevents onset of diabetes and other lifestyle diseases to a great extent.
Thus it was observed that a lifestyle and diet change from low fiber to high fiber and from saturated fats to unsaturated fats was the key to activate the microbes to produce these metabolites and lead to a healthy gut and a healthy life.
Ref:
1. de Mello VD, Paananen J, Lindström J, et al. Scientific Reports, 2017;7:46337 DOI:10.1038/srep46337
The article has been contributed by:
Dr. S. P. Sathish Kumar, M.D., (Physician), F. Diab., Consultant Diabetologist, Sagar Diacare Clinik, Salem
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