Gut microflora and diabetes - role for pro-, pre-biotics

Gut microflora and diabetes: Study suggests role for pro-, pre-biotics: "acterial populations in the gut of diabetics differ from non-diabetics, says a new study from Denmark that may open up a potential role for modify gut microflora with probiotics and prebiotics and improve health.
The study, published in the open-access peer-reviewed journal PLoS ONE, builds on earlier studies that have linked gut microflora and obesity. A breakthrough paper published in Nature in December 2006 reported that microbial populations in the gut are different between obese and lean people, and that when the obese people lost weight their microflora reverted back to that observed in a lean person, suggesting that obesity may have a microbial component.

Led by Nadja Larsen from the University of Copenhagen, the new research is reportedly the first to look at intestinal microbiota in humans with and without type-2 diabetes.

“Our data suggest that the levels of glucose tolerance or severity of diabetes should be considered while linking microbiota with obesity and other metabolic diseases in humans,” wrote the Danish researchers."