This content originally appeared on diaTribe. Republished with permission.

By Arvind Sommi

In accordance with a recent study, children who develop type 1 diabetes could have signs of their gut as early as age 1. Researchers have found differences in gut bacteria that would help discover infants at elevated risk for the condition.

Researchers have discovered a link between gut bacteria and the event of type 1 diabetes. In accordance with a study published in Diabetologia, the gut microbiome may help discover children who’ve an elevated risk of developing type 1 diabetes. The study analyzed bacteria in stool samples collected at about one yr of age from a small group of youngsters who developed type 1 diabetes about 12 years later in comparison with those that didn’t develop diabetes. The researchers found significant differences within the gut bacteria of the 2 groups.

“Plainly the stage is about very early in life for type 1 diabetes,” Eric W. Triplett, professor and chair of the Department of Microbiology and Cell Science on the University of Florida, told Helio. “Once we learn more, we may give you the chance to make a predictive model based on gut microbiome composition and other aspects that may have higher accuracy than the currently available genetic risk scores.”

Triplett said monitoring gut health over time and screening children at birth for genetic risk is perhaps helpful and enable research into dietary or probiotic interventions to enhance gut health, which could reduce the danger of developing type 1 diabetes.

What did the study find?

The researchers identified 16 participants who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at about 13 years of age and compared them with a control group of 32 participants who didn’t develop type 1 diabetes.

They found that certain kinds of bacteria were more common within the gut of babies who later developed diabetes, while other types were more common in those that didn’t.

Nevertheless, Triplett noted that it was a small study and that future studies need to incorporate a bigger study population. Nevertheless, the opportunity of stopping onset of type 1 diabetes by altering or promoting ‘healthy’ gut bacteria is an appealing idea, but more research is required.

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