A study published in the magazine ‘Cell metabolism‘suggests that intestinal microbes can play a key role in the relationship between the consumption of sugary drinks and the risk of diabetes. The researchers found that people who consume many sugary drinks have a different intestinal microbiota and certain metabolites in the blood that could increase the risk of developing diabetes in the next 10 years.
“This study helps us understand why sugary drinks can negatively affect metabolism,” explains Qibin Qi, an epidemiologist of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and main author of the study. “Although our results do not prove a direct relationship, they could help develop new strategies to prevent diabetes.”
Sugary drinks are the main source of sugar added in the diet of adults in the US in 2017-2018, it was estimated that the average sugar consumption of these drinks was 34.8 grams per day. Unlike sugar in solid foods, liquid sugar is absorbed faster and provides many calories without nutrients.
Previous studies had already shown that sugary drinks can change the intestinal microbiota. However, this is the first study that analyzes whether these changes can affect metabolism and increase the risk of diabetes, especially in the US Hispanic/Latin population, a group with high rates of the disease.
The study analyzed data from more than 16,000 people in San Diego, Chicago, Miami and El Bronx. The participants reported their diet and provided blood samples. Subsequently, a group of 3,035 people also showed stool to analyze its intestinal microbiota.
The results showed that those who drank at least two sugary drinks per day had changes in nine species of intestinal bacteria. Some of these bacteria produce substances that help process glucose, suggesting that their alteration could affect metabolism.
Differences were also found in 56 metabolites in the blood of the participants with high consumption of liquid sugar. These metabolites were related to higher levels of glucose and insulin in fasting, higher body mass index (BMI) and less “good” (HDL) cholesterol. In addition, people with higher levels of these metabolites were more likely to develop diabetes in the next 10 years.
Researchers still cannot confirm whether any specific type of intestinal bacteria directly influences the development of diabetes, but plan to continue studying this connection.
“We want to analyze whether the changes in the microbiota and the metabolites can explain, at least, the link between sugary drinks and diabetes,” says Qi.
In the future, the team will also investigate whether these microbial alterations are related to other chronic diseases such as cardiovascular
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