Diabetes: Unhealthy diet and lifestyle puts you at a higher risk of type-2 diabetes
Highlights
- Imbalanced gut bacteria affects your digestive health
- Adding probiotics to diet promotes good bacteria in the gut
- Prebiotics feed the good bacteria in the gut
The gut microbe is linked with your overall health not just your digestion. According to studies, there is a strong link between gut health and type-2 diabetes. Several modifiable factors increase the risk of type-2 diabetes and unhealthy eating is one of these. Type-2 diabetes affects a large population today. It is a chronic condition which requires constant management of healthy blood sugars. If left uncontrolled, diabetes affects different orangs of the body. To control the side effects, it becomes essential to take control of your blood sugar levels. In this article, you will understand the link between gut health and type-2 diabetes.
Gut health and type-2 diabetes: Here's the link
Type-2 diabetes is a multifactorial disease in which both hereditary as well as environmental factors are involved. Multiple pathogenic defects have been described in type-2 diabetes. Recently, the role of gut microbiota has also come into prominence.
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In the human body, there are trillions of bacteria. In the gut, specifically, there are friendly microbes (bacteria) which help in digestion and maintain metabolic health. In those who follow unhealthy lifestyles (eat junk food, don't exercise or are obese) and have type-2 diabetes, the healthy microbes like the lactobacillus and bifidobacteria are replaced by unhealthy microbes. This results in what is called a 'leaky gut'.
Unhealthy balance of gut bacteria may increase diabetes risk, says expert
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This results in chronic inflammation which has been linked to several cardiometabolic disorders including type-2 diabetes. It has been suggested that this is one of the causes of the increasing prevalence of type-2 diabetes.
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It is also known that adopting a healthy lifestyle, eating a lot of green leafy vegetables and fruit and avoiding junk foods and controlling diabetes well, the gut microbiota can again be restored to normal. Use of probiotics can also help to restore the unhealthy gut microbiota to healthy microbes.
You can control your type-2 diabetes risk with simple modifications in diet and lifestyle. Maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and consuming a healthy diet can play a role. If you have a family history of diabetes, you must watch out for early signs and symptoms.
(Dr. V Mohan is Head of MDRF-Hinduja Foundation T1D program and also Chairman & Chief of Diabetology, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre & President, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Chennai, India)
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