Scientists might have recognized a method to naturally regulate blood sugar ranges and sugar cravings similarly to medication like Ozempic.
In mice and people, the important thing to unlocking this pure course of was discovered to be a intestine microbe and its metabolites – the compounds it produces throughout digestion.
By growing the abundance of this one intestine microbe in diabetic mice, researchers led by a workforce at Jiangnan College in China have proven they’ll “orchestrate the secretion of glucagon-like peptide-1”.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a hormone that’s naturally produced by the physique and which helps regulate blood sugar ranges and emotions of fullness. GLP-1’s launch is stimulated by sure meals and intestine microbes, and its mechanism of motion is mimicked by medication like semaglutide (the ingredient behind Ozempic).
Individuals with sort 2 diabetes usually have impaired GLP-1 operate, resulting in points with blood sugar management, which is why Ozempic and different GLP-1 agonists work as remedies.
These medication mimic pure processes within the physique, and whereas they’ve proved very efficient, some researchers need to determine the right way to get the physique to provide extra GLP-1 by itself.
“A growing body of research has revealed that our cravings for dietary components originate from signals sent from the gut, a key organ in transmitting dietary preferences,” clarify the authors.
“However, which genes, gut flora, and metabolites in the gut microenvironment are involved in the regulation of sugar preference is currently unclear.”
The brand new analysis suggests intestine microbes like Bacteroides vulgatus and their metabolites might assist form an individual’s candy tooth.
In experiments, if mice couldn’t produce a intestine protein, referred to as Ffar4, the researchers discovered the intestine colonies of B. vulgatus shrank. This, in flip, decreased the discharge of a hormone referred to as FGF21, which is tied to sugar cravings.
In research of mice taking GLP-1 agonists, researchers have discovered the medication stimulate FGF21.
In the meantime, in people, some research counsel that these with genetic variants for the FGF21 hormone are about 20 p.c extra prone to be top-ranking shoppers of candy meals.
In a blood evaluation of 60 members with sort 2 diabetes and 24 wholesome controls, the researchers in China discovered that Ffar4 mutations, which scale back FGF21 manufacturing, are linked to an elevated desire for sugar, “which may be an important contributor to the development of diabetes.”
What’s extra, the intestine microbiome might be a key mediator of that course of.
Positive sufficient, the analysis workforce discovered that when mice have been handled with a metabolite of B. vulgatus, it boosted GLP-1 secretion, which then additionally triggered the secretion of FGF21.
Collectively, this meant extra blood sugar management and fewer sugar cravings in mice.
Whether or not the identical will lengthen to people stays to be seen, however the authors declare their examine “provides a strategy for diabetes prevention.”
The examine was printed in Nature Microbiology.
