Gut Environment May Influence Type-2 Diabetes

A meta-genomic study, conducted as part of the EU-based MetaHIT (Metagenomics of the Human Intestinal Tract) project involving eight countries, reveals a prominent association between the gut  bacteria environment and type-2 diabetes.  Oluf Borbye Pedersen, from the University of Copenhagen (Denmark), and colleagues identified that patients with type-2 diabetes have an imbalance in gut bacteria, specifically an excess of harmful strains and a deficit  of beneficial strains.  The study authors submit that their findings: “demonstrate that these gut microbial markers might be useful for classifying type 2 diabetes.”