(Diabetes) The hidden weapon for managing blood sugar levels… Attack the ‘gut microbes’.

Numerous studies have shown that the balance of gut microbiota is closely linked to our health. Key benefits include: promoting digestive function, activating the immune system, and improving cardiovascular health. Recently, it has been gaining attention as a new approach to diabetes prevention and management.

 

Two-Line Summary of Today's Diabetes Letter

 

1. It is closely related to gut microbiome health and blood sugar control.

2. Practice healthy lifestyle habits to balance your gut microbiota!

What are gut microbes?

 

Microbes are "organisms too small to be seen with the naked eye." Despite their small size, they play a significant role in our bodies. According to the MetaHit project, led by 15 research institutes in eight countries, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health and the European Commission, our bodies harbor over 1,000 species of gut microbes.

 

Intestinal bacteria are broadly classified into ▲beneficial bacteria ▲harmful bacteria ▲neutral bacteria. Beneficial bacteria boost immunity and alleviate inflammation, harmful bacteria produce toxins and cause disease, and neutral bacteria play different roles depending on the situation. For a healthy body, various intestinal microbes must coexist, maintain balance, and ensure smooth metabolic functions for each microbe.

In this regard, personalized treatments utilizing gut microbes are also being actively researched. Professor Hwang Yong-seong of the Department of Biomedical Convergence at the Soonchunhyang University Biomedical Research Institute stated, "Since the risk of developing various diseases, including diabetes, varies depending on the symbiotic relationship between gut microbes, effective treatments are possible by utilizing gut microbe functions and genes." He added, "Recently, a procedure is being performed to extract and transplant microbes from the stool of a healthy person to restore gut microbe balance."

 

Closely related to blood sugar control

 

How is this related to diabetes? Some microbes directly affect ▲blood sugar stability ▲insulin sensitivity ▲inflammatory response regulation. When the gut microbiome is out of balance, metabolic problems occur. According to a study at Oregon State University in the United States, diabetic patients had a higher proportion of harmful bacteria and a decrease in beneficial bacteria, resulting in a decrease in gut microbiome diversity compared to healthy individuals. When the gut microbiome is imbalanced, harmful substances and pathogens in the intestines can more easily pass between intestinal cells. This causes chronic inflammation, which interferes with the insulin signaling pathway and ultimately worsens insulin resistance. Naturally, the decrease in beneficial bacteria that increase the secretion of the hormone GLP-1, which prevents overeating and helps control blood sugar, or the beneficial bacteria that break down dietary fiber to suppress glucose synthesis and increase insulin sensitivity, is not beneficial for blood sugar management.

 

How to increase beneficial bacteria

Managing your gut microbiome holds the key to preventing and managing diabetes. The key is increasing the number of beneficial gut bacteria, and the method is simpler than you might think. According to a paper titled "Diabetes and the Gut Microbiome" by the research team at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Chosun University Hospital, gut microbiome can be maintained through lifestyle management, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, and stress management. The research team recommends avoiding high-fat and high-sugar meals and consuming a Mediterranean diet rich in fiber, which serves as food for beneficial gut bacteria. The Mediterranean diet is rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and olive oil, and relatively low in red meat, processed meat, and refined carbohydrates.

Professor Hwang Yong-seong said, "Supplying probiotics and prebiotics is one way to balance the gut microbiome." Probiotics are live beneficial bacteria that can be consumed through fermented foods like yogurt. Prebiotics are ingredients that serve as food for beneficial bacteria. A research team at Rutgers University analyzed 8,690 foods registered in the Food and Nutrient Database and found that garlic, chives, and onions were the most abundant.

 

Maintaining regular sleep habits is also important. A study by King's College London in the UK found that a sleep schedule that deviates by just 90 minutes can lead to imbalanced gut microbiota and a decline in diet quality. Dr. Kate Birmingham, the lead researcher, stated, "Irregular sleep can lead to an increase in harmful gut bacteria and cravings for carbohydrate-rich or sweet foods, which are detrimental to health." The research team suggested the following desirable sleep habits for gut health:

 

 

▲Go to bed at the same time and wake up at the same time

 

▲Finish your last meal two to three hours before bedtime.

 

▲Sleep 7-8 hours a day

 

▲Lock your smartphone during bedtime

 

▲Create an appropriate sleeping environment by using blackout curtains, eye masks, etc.

 

 

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I also use blackout curtains.

It's very helpful for the sleeping environment.

I made it tight in two layers