Post-biotics, which are the by-products of bacteria, allow insulin to function better and thus help in lowering blood glucose levels.
Jonathan Schertzer, assistant professor of biochemistry and biomedical sciences at McMaster University and senior author of a paper published by Cell Metabolism, explains it this way:
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Sugar in terms of caloric value is similar to starch, but in terms of metabolic effects, it is far different. It comes with a special payload.
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‘Developing new bacterial-based drugs will help to lower blood glucose and help to prevent prediabetes before type 2 diabetes develops.’
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"We know that gut bacteria, often called the microbiome, send inflammation signals that change how well insulin works to lower blood glucose.
"It was previously thought that bacteria only caused problems such as higher inflammation and higher blood glucose. But this is only half of the story. We discovered that a specific component of bacteria actually lowers blood glucose and allows insulin to work better during obesity.
![Test Your Knowledge on Childhood Obesity]( "Test Your Knowledge on Childhood Obesity")
Obesity is defined as having excess body fat, and is responsible for a wide range of chronic health problems. Childhood obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent with nearly 20% of American children and nearly the same percentage of children in India suffering from obesity.
"Understanding how different parts of bacteria control glucose could lead to new therapies that avoid some of the problems with pro-biotics or pre-biotics. We have found a "post-biotic" that lowers blood glucose during obesity."
This work is important as more than half of Canadians are overweight or obese, which leads to higher levels of blood insulin and glucose. These features of prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes.
"But we haven't understood what triggers elevated blood glucose," said Schertzer. "This is significant because only some individuals with obesity develop prediabetes. Blood glucose is influenced by our genes, the food we eat, and the bacteria in our gut."
His research team is working to develop new bacterial-based drugs to lower blood glucose and combat prediabetes before type 2 diabetes develops. At this time, they have had success in trials with mice with a drug currently used for osteosarcoma, a bone cancer.
Source: Eurekalert
Test Your Knowledge on Childhood Obesity
Obesity is defined as having excess body fat, and is responsible for a wide range of chronic health problems. Childhood obesity is becoming increasingly prevalent with nearly 20% of American children and nearly the same percentage of children in India suffering from obesity.
Advertisement
"Understanding how different parts of bacteria control glucose could lead to new therapies that avoid some of the problems with pro-biotics or pre-biotics. We have found a "post-biotic" that lowers blood glucose during obesity."
This work is important as more than half of Canadians are overweight or obese, which leads to higher levels of blood insulin and glucose. These features of prediabetes can lead to type 2 diabetes.
"But we haven't understood what triggers elevated blood glucose," said Schertzer. "This is significant because only some individuals with obesity develop prediabetes. Blood glucose is influenced by our genes, the food we eat, and the bacteria in our gut."
His research team is working to develop new bacterial-based drugs to lower blood glucose and combat prediabetes before type 2 diabetes develops. At this time, they have had success in trials with mice with a drug currently used for osteosarcoma, a bone cancer.
Source: Eurekalert
Does Early Pregnancy Obesity Increase Risk of Seizures?
Asphyxia-related neonatal complications,severe neonatal complications, were independently associated with increased risk of childhood epilepsy.
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 Facts about ObesityObesity is a growing global health problem. Obesity is defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may damage your health. | Advertisement
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