Newly published in a top scientific journal: “Cell”ResearchA diet high in sugar was found to alter gut microbial profiles, leading to metabolic disease, prediabetes and weight gain.The findings show that diet is important, but maintaining an optimal microbiome in the body is equally important for preventing metabolic disorders, diabetes and obesity.
High fat and sugar in Western-style diets can lead to obesity, dysmetabolic syndrome and diabetes, but how diet triggers unhealthy changes in the body is not fully understood. Because gut microbes are integral to our body’s nutritional intake, the Columbia University microbiology and immunology team studied the effects of a Western-style diet on the microbiome in mice. The results of the study found that following four weeks on the Western-style diet, the mice exhibited symptoms of dysmetabolic syndrome, such as weight gain, insulin resistance (a phenomenon in which fat cells, muscle cells and liver cells do not respond adequately to normal concentrations of insulin) and glucose insufficiency. Tolerance (it is easy to raise blood sugar following glucose is given). The microbiome in the mice changed dramatically, especially the numbers of segmented filamentous bacteria (members of the rodent gut microbiota that have been shown to be effective in inducing immune responses in mice) – drastic decreased, while the numbers of other bacteria also increased.
The researchers found that the decline in filamentous bacteria also reduced the number of Th17 immune cells in the gut, and further experiments showed that Th17 cells are required to prevent metabolic disease, diabetes and weight gain.The molecules produced by these Th17 cells slow the absorption of ‘bad’ lipids in the gut and reduce inflammation in the gut, so Th17 cells keep the gut healthy and protect the body from the absorption of pathogenic lipids. When the researchers fed mice a sugar-free, high-fat diet, the mice retained intestinal Th17 cells and were completely protected from obesity and prediabetes, even when the mice ate the same calorie diet. While humans don’t have the same filamentous bacteria as mice, the researchers believe that other gut bacteria in humans may have the same protective effect.
The findings highlight the complex interplay between diet, the microbiome and the immune system, and are also important in the development of obesity, dysmetabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes. The researchers pointed out thatFor optimal health, it’s not just regarding changing your diet, but also improving your microbiome or gut immune system.
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