Diabetes! – Is it SIBO?
A recent pear reviewed article published in Nature done by researchers at the University of British Columbia has found a connection between dysbiosis of the microbiome and the onset of Type 1 diabetes. It has already been established that Type 2 diabetes has a microbiome connection and the blood sugar control is related to the bacteria in our intestines, so this news should not be a huge surprise. However, this unique article is the first research of its kind to really identify a connection between antibiotic use, the microbiome, and the autoimmune disease Type 1 diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease with typical onset at a young age, but recently, as the article outlines, the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Western cultures has doubled! The researchers have linked the over use of antibiotics to be a major contributing factor in the onset of Type-1 diabetes, outlining that certain bacterial population overgrowth is likely the cause of the TH1 dominant autoimmune response against the pancreas.
Although Type-1 diabetes is one example of this response, it is my belief that all autoimmune disease has a similar etiology. Rheumatoid Arthiritis, for example, is another TH1 dominant autoimmune disease specifically linked to the microbiata of our intestines or other latent infections in the body. I have used targeted antibioitics along with immune enhancement of TH2 and TH17 immunity in the successful treatment of many people suffering with Rheumatism.
Although the article outlines that they where not able to delay the onset of Diabetes using a strong probiotic, they also identify that a likely critical component is to determine which bacterial populations are the problem. This is where functional medicine has been critical in my successful treatment of autoimmune diseases.
Using tests that quantify the microbiata with PCR techniques allows for the targeted treatment of unwanted or over represented bacterial populations, or using SIBO testing can identify bacterial populations in the wrong part of the intestine, which allows for proper eradication and re-balancing of the microbiome. This re-balancing can be done through the use of targeted probiotics and specific supplements that enhance the signals which increase tolerance in the immune system! Cool stuff.
Have a read of the article here!
https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2016/04/28/prolonged-antibiotic-use-can-accelerate-diabetes-ubc-study-shows/
Here is a link to the abstract!
www.nature.com/ismej/journal/v10/n2/full/ismej2015114a.html
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