Study examines influence of certain diets on gut health in pre-diabetic subjects

Researchers investigated how the gut microbiome and metabolic indicators in individuals with pre-diabetes are affected by different diets. The study by Orly Ben-Yacov, Anastasia Godneva, Michal Rein, and several others was published online on July 6.

According to the study, researchers focused on the dynamic relationship between diet alterations, the composition of the gut microbiome, and metabolic responses in individuals with pre-diabetes. The study states that over a six-month period, adults with pre-diabetes were divided into two groups: one adhering to a Mediterranean (MED) diet and the other following a personalized postprandial-targeting (PPT) diet, which was tailored using a machine-learning algorithm to predict post-meal glucose levels. The comprehensive data collection, says the study, included dietary habits logged via a smartphone app, gut microbiome analysis through shotgun metagenomics sequencing, and clinical data from continuous glucose monitoring, blood biomarkers, and body measurements.

According to the study published in BMJ Journals, the findings revealed that the PPT diet led to more notable changes in the gut microbiome than the MED diet, particularly in terms of increased alpha-diversity in the microbiome of the PPT group. This diversity was not as pronounced in the MED group, states the study, and detailed analysis indicated a strong link between specific dietary changes and alterations at the species level in the microbiome. Moreover, the study identified nine microbial species that played a role in mediating the relationship between diet and clinical outcomes. Three species were, reportedly, found to influence the relationship between adherence to the PPT diet and key clinical markers, such as hemoglobin A1c, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

The study underscored the significant role of the gut microbiome in shaping the impact of dietary changes on cardiometabolic health. These insights, according to the study, supported the concept of precision nutrition as a strategy to mitigate comorbidities associated with pre-diabetes. The research demonstrated the potential of personalized dietary interventions to predict and improve metabolic responses, and aimed at a better understanding of diet-microbiome interactions in the context of pre-diabetes management.

BMJ: Orly Ben-Yacov, Anastasia Godneva, Michal Rein, et al., Gut microbiome modulates the effects of a personalised postprandial-targeting (PPT) diet on cardiometabolic markers: a diet intervention in pre-diabetes, Gut (2023). http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2022-329201.