Does this mean diabetes could (in some cases) be caused by gut bacteria? Can we reduce diabetes risk factors with targeted antibiotics that attack certain glucose-intolerance-causing bacteria?
It's fiendishly difficult to pry apart correlation and causation for complex conditions like diabetes (which we're steadily reconceptualizing as less of a "disease," and more of a chain reaction of metabolic and hormonal disorders). Changes in gut bacteria are associated with the condition sometimes called "pre-diabetes," or a "pre-diabetic state." But we're not yet sure if they are a causative factor, if they are the result of the condition, or if they're simply co-morbid with it.
Whatever the case, gut bacteria appear to play a vital role in our metabolic health, and we're only beginning to explore this area in earnest.
Yes, absolutely possible. There is so much potential in gut bacteria research and we are only starting to recently scratch the surface with it. I get really excited about the topic of gut bacteria for some reason, it is just very interesting.
Its hard to separate cause and effect right now though. There also may be a snowball effect. We just know so little so there is a lot of research that needs to be done.
Antibiotics are unlikely. Fecal transparents are much more likely. Fecal transparents are starting to be used for c. Diff infections with success.
Whatever the case, gut bacteria appear to play a vital role in our metabolic health, and we're only beginning to explore this area in earnest.