A new study of over 10,000 adults in the United States found that those who followed a diet supporting gut health may be less likely to have type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance.
Using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected from 2007 to 2018, investigators examined the Dietary Index for Gut Microbiota (DI-GM), a score ranging from 0 to 14 based on how often individuals ate foods that were beneficial or detrimental to gut bacteria. Higher scores were given to those who consumed more beneficial foods and beverages like whole grains, green tea, and fermented dairy as well as fewer harmful foods like red meat and refined grains.
The investigators included 10,600 adults aged 20 years and older. After adjusting for age, sex, income, physical activity, and chronic disease history, the investigators found that individuals with the highest DI-GM scores had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Specifically, those who had a DI-GM score of 6 or more were 26% less likely to have diabetes and 23% less likely to have insulin resistance compared with those who had the lowest scores.
The investigators also found that higher DI-GM scores were linked to better results on related blood markers. These included lower fasting blood glucose, lower insulin levels, and lower Homeostatic Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance scores.
The relationship between DI-GM scores and diabetes risk appeared to be linear, demonstrating that the higher the DI-GM score, the lower the risk, without a threshold effect. This pattern remained consistent across different subgroups, including age, gender, race, body mass index (BMI), and physical activity level.
Further, the investigators examined whether body weight and inflammation played a role in the connection between diet and diabetes risk. They found that BMI explained about 9% of the link between DI-GM and diabetes and about 26% of the link to insulin resistance. Inflammatory markers in the blood explained a small part of the association, around 2%.
The results were consistent even after different types of sensitivity analyses, including adjusting for total energy intake and excluding participants with cardiovascular disease or high uric acid levels.
The investigators used a cross-sectional design in which they assessed data from one point in time and were, therefore, unable to prove cause and effect. However, the findings suggested that a diet that supports gut health may be linked to better metabolic outcomes in adults.
The investigators recommended further research to test these findings over time and to explore whether changing the diet can improve gut health and reduce diabetes risk.
Source: Frontiers in Nutrition
