What do diabetes and bugs have in common? According to a new study published in the journal mBio, diabetes could be caused by the bugs that live in and on our bodies. But wait that’s not all: It’s believed that the bacteria colonies (a fancy term for these bugs) are different on the bodies of obese people compared to those of non-obese people. Researchers believe these bugs play a role in metabolic changes and chronic inflammation – both of which can lead to diabetes in the long run.
So, how did the group of microbiologists at the University of Iowa come to this conclusion? After exposing rabbits to staph bacteria – a bug that tends to be higher in obese people – for long periods of time, they ended up developing a few common symptoms of diabetes, such as insulin resistance, glucose intolerance and inflammation.