The word “bacteria” is enough to make most people cringe. The knowledge there are about 39 trillion bacteria in the human body can seem horrifying (there are more bacteria in the body than there are cells!). Yes, there are the bad, harmful bacteria that can cause disease and illness. But there are also the helpful, good bacteria that research increasingly indicates play a role in health promotion and disease prevention.
We all have bacteria in our digestive tract. While it’s also unpleasant to think about, the reality is that they’re there to stay. The collection of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites (called microorganisms) in our gut is called the microbiome. Some are potentially harmful, but many of them are the good guys with the potential to help fight off illness and chronic disease.
Everyone’s microbiome is unique; in other words, no two people have the same microbiome. That’s because the microbiota is determined, initially, by your DNA.
When you’re born, you’re exposed to your mother’s microorganisms during delivery, and, if you’re breastfed, through your mother’s breast milk. Over time, the environment and your diet influence the type of microorganisms. For example, people who eat foods of animal origin have a very different microbiome (or gut flora) than those who eat plant-based foods.
Dysbiosis is a term for a microbial imbalance or maladaptation on or inside the body, such as an impaired microbiota. For example, a part of the human microbiota, such as the skin flora, gut flora, or vaginal flora, can become deranged, with normally dominating species underrepresented and normally outcompeted or contained species increasing to fill the void.
Dysbiosis is most commonly reported in the gastrointestinal tract, particularly during small intestinal bacterial overgrowth or small intestinal fungal overgrowth. It has also been reported to be associated with illnesses, such as periodontal disease, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, obesity, cancer, bacterial vaginosis, and colitis. http://www.saragottfriedmd.com/dysbiosis-symptoms-and-conditions/
“Sugar and artificial sweeteners are major culprits in feeding bad bacteria and disrupting the balance and diversity of gut microbiota,” says gastroenterologist James J. Lee, MD and can worsen blood sugar control. Try Stevia which has shown not to have a negative impact on your stomach. Your digestive system keeps you healthy, protecting against everything from diabetes to depression, heart disease to cancer, say Harvard experts.
In fact, 90% of all disease can now be traced to a healthy microbiome. Dr. Joel Fuhrman M.D., President of the National Research Foundation advises filling up on “G-Bomb,” an acronym for the most important foods to eat everyday: green veggies, beans, onions or garlic, mushrooms, berries, seeds and nuts. Microbiome Diet Part 1 Part 2
With cruciferous veggies containing an enzyme that metabolizes sugars in the gut to help ward of disease. Having the proper gut microbiome helps with proper absorption of essential vitamins and minerals which helps your body heal from disease.
Research has shown that people who eat a Standard American Diet have less diverse microbiota than those eating a plant — based diet. The more diversity you have in your gut, the more likely you are to have better digestion, nutrient absorption, and a healthy immune system. Other factors affect it as well, including antibiotics (which tend to wipe out the good bacteria along with the bad) and illness. An imbalance of bacteria is thought to lead to digestive disorders (including diarrhea and constipation), skin problems, urinary and vaginal infections, colds, mental health issues, and even weight gain.
Nutraceuticals and Naturopathy: Achieving the Right Blend …
Probiotics: the good guys
Of course, we all want good bacteria (probiotics) in our gut. But how do we get it? Probiotics are usually bacteria, although yeasts can be probiotics, too. You can affect the balance of bacteria in your gut in three ways: via the environment, by food, and by taking supplements.
The environment: Believe it or not, the more we’re exposed to dirt, the better our microbiome may be. Now, no one is saying that you need to live in filth, but our culture tends to promote excessive cleanliness, and that may not be such a good thing, especially if you have kids in the house. Studies show that being exposed to a variety of microbes, especially during childhood, helps to strengthen your immune system. So don’t be afraid to dig in the dirt, go camping, or be outside, in general. Other things that can help include having a pet (or being near animals), avoiding antibacterial cleaners, and occasionally washing dishes by hand versus using the dishwasher.
Food: Eating certain foods is a great way to get your probiotics. Choose foods that contain live cultures, such as yogurt, buttermilk, acidophilus milk, kefir (a fermented probiotic milk drink), kimchi (a fermented Korean vegetable dish), sauerkraut (fermented cabbage), tempeh (fermented soybeans), miso (fermented soybean paste), olives, and kombucha (a fermented tea drink). Some cheeses (Brie, feta, gruyere) may contain probiotics, too.
Supplements: Not surprisingly, there are many types of probiotics supplements available. Supplements may contain just one strain of probiotic, or they may have multiple strains. Common strains of probiotics include the Lactobacillus, Bifidobacteria, Saccharomyces boulardii, and Bacillus coagulans. It’s a good idea to check with your doctor before taking a probiotic supplement. Some people should not take them, including people who have an overgrowth of yeast, small intestine bacterial overgrowth, or a compromised immune system that overtime can lead to cancer.
Probiotics and diabetes
It seems like probiotics can help a whole host of issues (although more research is needed). What about diabetes? Last year, research from Ontario was presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions.
In this study, 80 people followed either the DASH diet (for high blood pressure) or the DASH diet plus probiotic-rich foods. Of the 80 people, 15% had prediabetes. After 3 months, those on the DASH diet plus probiotics had lowered their A1C by 8.9% compared to 3.4% for the DASH diet–only group.
Other studies have indicated probiotics can lower glucose and insulin levels in those with diabetes. Lactobacillus acidophilus and L. casei improved glucose tolerance and hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) in animal studies. Human studies have also shown promise, but many of these studies had fewer than 20 participants, and it’s hard to rule out the effect of other factors that may have affected glycemic control. Still, things look promising as far as the link between probiotics taken for more than 8 weeks and lower fasting blood sugar and A1C levels.
In 1 study, people with Type 2 diabetes were given C. ficifolia (a type of pumpkin), C. ficifolia and probiotic yogurt, or simply dietary advice. Those given C. ficifolia and probiotics alone or together had lower total cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats), higher HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and lower blood pressure. All interventions lead to lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, A1C, and blood sugar.
While it’s too soon to advise people who have diabetes to take a probiotic supplement or eat a specific probiotic-rich food to lower blood sugars, there is growing evidence that probiotics, in general, can support health. In particular, probiotics may promote heart health, which is extremely important if you have diabetes.
For now, your best bet is to take advantage of foods that are natural sources of probiotics. If, after checking with your doctor, you decide to take a probiotic supplement, choose one with multiple strains of probiotics and with. . . . at least 30 billion Colony Forming Units (CFUs). It’s also advisable to go with a supplement that has a “USP Verified” seal. Don’t forget, too, that checking your blood sugar is an important way to see if probiotic foods and/or supplements have an effect on your diabetes control.
Want to learn more about probiotics? Read “Probiotics and Prebiotics: Parts of a Healthy Diet,” “Probiotics: The Bugs That Are Our Friends (Part 1),” and “Probiotics: The Bugs That Are Our Friends (Part 2).”
You may have heard a lot of buzz in the past few years about probiotics. Probiotics are a kind of bacteria found in our gut that can help with digestion. “They crowd out harmful bacteria and might even be an important mediator for other, more systemic diseases and disorders,” says Rachele Pojednic, an assistant professor of nutrition at Simmons College and a staff scientist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
There’s more and more evidence that probiotics can provide relief from diarrhea or help to repopulate your gut after you’ve taken antibiotics. Researchers are even looking to the benefits of probiotics in foods or via supplements to help with weight regulation, mental health, immune health and inflammatory gut diseases like Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel syndrome, Pojednic says.
There’s also more and more evidence that the flora in your gut can affect more than just digestive health, says Los Angeles-based Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified diabetes educator and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. In other words, better gut health could improve your overall health.
“As more research is devoted to the human microbiome, stronger evidence points to healthy bacteria in the gut having a positive impact on body weight, inflammation and even mood disorders,” says New Jersey-based Erin Palinski-Wade, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator and author of “2-Day Diabetes Diet.” Yet another potential benefit is that probiotics appear to help reduce cholesterol levels – important when you have diabetes because of your increased risk for heart disease, Palinski-Wade says.
Probiotics have become a greater research focus as increased antibiotics use, stress and the consumption of processed food and sugar are changing our gut bacteria, Sheth says.
With all of the buzz, there’s even been some research focused on probiotics use and better blood sugar control for people with diabetes. However, the bottom line is that the evidence is still limited, at least in humans, at this time. The research has mostly focused on cell culture and animal models.
“There are some promising animal studies … but there have been very few clinical trials that look at whether the actual supplementation of probiotics has a lasting effect on the treatment or prevention of diabetes,” Pojednic says.
Yet other studies on this are underway. Some early findings are linking probiotic use to a reduction in fasting blood glucose levels and a reduction in hemoglobin A1C levels in people with Type 2 diabetes, Palinski-Wade says. The effects are particularly noted when probiotics are consumed for more than eight weeks, she adds.
Because diabetes can affect the immune system, making it harder for wounds to heal, one benefit of probiotics is a boosting of the immune system, says Grace Derocha, a certified diabetes educator and registered dietitian with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. That makes those sometimes stubborn wounds heal faster.
A number of diabetes experts believe in the benefits of probiotics, even if it’s more for gut or immune health than specifically for diabetes. Here are a few ways you can approach the use of probiotics.
Start with real food.
There are supplements available, but real food is always ideal. Look for food that has live cultures. This can include yogurt and kefir but also pickles, kombucha, sauerkraut, kimchi, miso and tempeh. “You can find many functional foods now where probiotics are added,” Pojednic says. If you find the food options confusing, but don’t worry.“I would recommend sticking to a high-quality yogurt a day, which has been associated with other health benefits as well,” Pojednic says.
Consider supplements.
Although supplements should be additive to an already balanced diet, they can be helpful. “I do recommend supplementation as well as food since it can be hard to be consistent with probiotic intake through food alone, and I feel the research is strong enough to warrant additional supplementation for the diabetic population,” Palinski-Wade says.
“If patients opt for a probiotic supplement, they should make sure it has at least 30 parts per billion and is in a form that’s easy for them to consume,” Derocha says.
How do you find that out about the product? Well…
Read labels. By reading labels, you’ll better understand the product strength. Many companies are cashing in on the popularity of probiotics. You could find yourself consuming a supplement that doesn’t have the probiotics power that it touts. That’s because supplements are not regulated the same way medications are. Look for a USP seal on the product packaging or check the site ConsumerLab.com. “These outside agencies review the supplements to ensure you are truly getting what the label says you are getting,” Palinski-Wade says.
By reading labels, you’ll also see if your probiotic has any added sweetener – an important consideration for your carb counting, Derocha cautions.
[Read: 7 Healthy Snack Ideas When You Have Diabetes.]
Talk to your health care provider. Probiotics may not be ideal for everyone. “If clients are having an overgrowth of yeast or have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, adding fermented foods to the diet may actually make things worse,” Sheth says. “They would need to wait to introduce fermented foods after their gut has healed. Also, anyone with a histamine intolerance may not tolerate fermented foods.” In other words, those foods could cause allergy-like symptoms because they naturally contain a large amount of histamine.
Also, make sure that probiotics will not negatively affect other supplements or medications you currently use.
Don’t expect miracles. “Probiotics do not cure or resolve Type 2 diabetes,” Derocha says. “They simply contribute to a healthier digestive system and overall health, which can help make diabetes easier to manage.” Continue to check your blood sugar regularly, count carbohydrates, see your health provider regularly and take medicine as prescribed.
Probiotics and Diabetes: The Science Behind It
How does probiotics help diabetics? Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in correct dosages and form, give you a ton of health benefits. Probiotic supplements have been proven to have positive effects on cardio-metabolic parameters in patients with Type 2 Diabetes.
According to research conducted at Loughborough University, probiotics prevent insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is often caused by consuming foods that contain trans fats for a long time. The study found that a high trans-fat and processed food diet can reduce insulin sensitivity by as much as 27%, in healthy adults. Supplementation with probiotics helped normalize insulin functioning.
“Even short-term consumption of high-fat, processed foods aids the development of metabolic diseases, diabetes type 2 being one of them. However, probiotics’ impact on insulin resistance is a significant breakthrough. Also, probiotics can reduce fasting blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetic patients,” said Dr. Carl Hulston of Loughborough University.
Type 1 diabetics are people who have lost the ability to produce any insulin naturally. In a ground-breaking study, researchers engineered a strain of Lactobacillus, a human probiotic. This was done to secrete a chemical called GLP-1 from it (which is naturally produced in the human body.) It was, then, administered orally to diabetic rats.
The compound GLP-1 made the inner skin cells of the rats’ intestines act like pancreatic cells. Pancreatic cells monitor blood glucose levels and balance insulin in the body. After 90 days, it was found that the diabetic rats were able to reduce their blood glucose levels since they were able to produce insulin by themselves. This study gives hope for gauging the advantages of probiotics for Type 1 diabetics as well.
Can Probiotics Help Diabetes?
Probiotics have significant effects on the reduction of the following in individuals with diabetes
Glucose
HbA1c
Insulin levels
Insulin resistance
Probiotic bacteria communicate with and trigger immune responses, not just in the GI tract but throughout the body. Probiotics mediate stress responses and handle blood sugars better, rather than flooding the system. . . . when exposed to everyday stressors.
Obesity and a diet rich in processed, high-fat foods result in insulin resistance, which eventually leads to type 2 diabetes. It leads, also, to less glucose uptake by muscle cells. More sugar is released from the liver, in this situation.
The pancreas is also impacted, leading to reduced insulin secretion. Studies also reveal that when you eat the wrong foods and upset the balance of good bacteria in the gut, you make yourself vulnerable to several other health conditions. The wrong bacteria make your gut leaky which can, in turn, lead to toxins leaking into the blood. With time, this could cause a host of autoimmune diseases like –
Crohn’s disease
Multiple Sclerosis
Lupus
Rheumatoid Arthritis and many others
All this only adds to the benefits that probiotics have on diabetics in ways that go beyond blood sugar control. However, it is also important to realize that several factors, besides diet, affect blood sugar control and insulin function in the human body.
For example, if you’re not sleeping right, it can affect your blood sugar in the morning.
A simple walk, after dinner, can make a huge difference on how your body handles blood sugar. Ensuring that your body gets the right nutrients, like Magnesium, also Vitamin D and Chromium and make a huge difference.
Diabetes is a system-wide disorder, one that can respond amazingly well to small changes across a variety of areas. That’s where probiotics come in.
Present research data shows that probiotics can improve glucose metabolism. The effect is more powerful when the duration of the intervention is more than 8 weeks. Ensuring that the probiotic has multiple species of good bacteria also seems to make a marked difference. Choosing the right probiotic is an important first step.
Probiotic food and supplements (taken separately or together) have beneficial effects on lipid profile, glycemic control, inflammation and blood pressure in T2D patients.
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Here are the brands that others had good luck with, ranking in the order of helpfullness… 1. Dr. Ohhira’s, Essential Formulas Inc., Probiotics 12 PLUS Original Formula 2. Natren, Healthy Trinity, 60 Capsules, 3. Sedona Labs, iFlora Multi-Probiotic 4. Nutrition Now, PB8 (Pro-Biotic Acidophilus) 5. Renew Life Ultimate Flora.