Different balance of intestinal bacteria linked with type 2 diabetes

Research from China reveals that people with type 2 diabetes tend to have a different balance of bacteria in the gut.
Researchers from the Beijing Genomics Institute in Shenzhen conducted a metagenome-wide association study of microbes found in the intestines of 345 people, half of which had type 2 diabetes. 60,000 different indicators were reviewed and researchers noted that people with type 2 diabetes had a higher proportion of potentially harmful bacteria.
Within our intestines, we carry a significant amount of bacteria. Some of the bacteria in our gut play an important and positive role in how we digest food but other forms of bacteria can have negative effects.
The results of the study indicate a correlation between type 2 diabetes and harmful gut bacteria. Further research will be needed to deduce whether type 2 diabetes increases the chance of having an imbalance in gut bacteria or whether the presence of harmful bacteria is involved in the chain of events in the body that leads to the development of type 2 diabetes.
Other factors, including antibiotics usage and preservatives in foods, may also play in either or both type 2 diabetes and an imbalance in gut bacteria.