Probiotics & Diabetes

Probiotic studies have exploded in popularity over the past several years. Research into how probiotics can help specific health conditions has been an area of particular interest. Diabetes affects over 34 million people in the United States alone. While diabetes is treatable with insulin, dietary research into probiotics has produced some interesting results.

Diabetes Treatments

Diabetes is treatable with insulin and other related medications. While insulin is one of the safest medications when used appropriately, it is associated with side effects in some people, such as the potential for hypoglycemia, weight gain, edema, retinopathy, and injection site reactions.  Other medications are often prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, such as metformin, and these also have side effects, which include gastrointestinal discomforts among others. In addition, medications such as these can be costly. 

Particularly with Type 2 diabetes, blood sugar levels can fluctuate, which can add to the difficulty in managing appropriate levels of medications.  This relative volatility makes finding ways to prevent or reverse diabetes a necessary area of research. Probiotics may have some properties that make them a prime candidate for future research and use in conjunction with diabetes.

Diabetes & General Health

While there is no medical cure for diabetes, there are ways for people to help mitigate and, for Type 2 diabetes possibly reverse the effects of diabetes. Because the risk of Type 2 diabetes is increased in people overweight and obese, some of the most common methods for mitigating the effects of Type 2 diabetes include:

• Low-calorie diets
• Regular exercise
• Weight loss
• Intermittent fasting
• Bariatric surgery

Medications and dietary supplements cannot reverse the effects of Type 1 diabetes. For both types, supplementation is still a good way to get vitamins & minerals and to add to a healthy diet in general.

Probiotics & Diabetes

Recent studies have shown that probiotics have positive effects on lowering bad cholesterol & triglyceride levels and may help in managing healthy blood pressure. This is important as these things can help with overall health, leading to better implementation of the ways to reduce or reverse the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes (as listed in the previous section).

Data from recent studies have suggested that probiotics may have a positive influence on supporting healthy cholesterol & blood pressure levels. Current data suggests that probiotics could have a positive role for mitigating the dangerous effects associated with Type 2 diabetes, although data on BMI, weight, and insulin levels are not as consistent.

Research at Biofortis

Biofortis is dedicated to protecting consumer health throughout the world by delivering a wide range of testing and consultancy services to the food, supplement, and nutrition industries. Biofortis supports this mission in two ways—through clinical trials and sensory and consumer insights testing. We specialize in clinical research targeting foods, ingredients, and dietary supplements that affect body structures, function, and overall health. Contact us with any clinical trial or scientific consulting needs.