“Controversial Treatment” Slashes Type 2 Diabetes Risk?
Insulin sensitivity is key when it comes to maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.
It’s what unlocks your cells so that sugar can go from your bloodstream into your cells, to be utilized for energy.
But see, people who are obese tend to have poor insulin sensitivity — which is a stepping stone to insulin resistance, ultimately leading to type 2 diabetes.
Now, researchers have identified a controversial natural treatment that can improve insulin sensitivity in severely obese people.
Fair warning, though, this is one treatment you might turn your nose up at…
The community of bacteria and micro-organisms that live in your gut are referred to as your microbiome.
Having a healthy, diverse microbiome is critical for good health.
On the flip side, studies have connected dysbiosis (an imbalance in gut microflora) to major health conditions ranging from depression to diabetes.
Now, researchers have identified a simple way to give your microbial community a facelift: through a fecal transplant.
Fecal transplants take the stool of a healthy person and transplant it into an unhealthy one. Doing so repopulates your microbiome with health-promoting bacteria.
The technology is new, and research on it is still in its infancy, but the studies are promising.
Past studies have even shown that fecal transplants can resolve 90 percent of infections caused by recurrent C. difficile — even when the infection doesn’t respond to antibiotics.
It’s also been used experimentally to treat IBS, colitis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, and more.
And in this latest study, a fecal transplant produced impressive health benefits in obese people suffering from metabolic syndrome.
This double-blind, randomized trial included 61 severely obese individuals with metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar).
They received a single oral dose of a fecal transplant within capsules that have no taste or odor.
They also took fiber supplements every day.
The doners were healthy, lean individuals.
After six weeks, the individual who received the fecal transplant had higher levels of beneficial microbes in their gut — and improved insulin sensitivity.
Improving insulin sensitivity is a key way to reduce blood sugar and the risk for type 2 diabetes.
What’s even more impressive?
It’s the fact that these people had already been taking medications for their metabolic syndrome, and the transplant was powerful enough to still make a noticeable improvement.
Now, I’m NOT suggesting that you consider a fecal transplant to solve all of your health problems.
What this study highlights for me is just how critical your gut health is for your body’s overall health and longevity.
And you don’t need someone else’s stool in your body to accomplish that.
In addition to taking a good probiotic and prebiotic, follow a whole-food diet and cut out processed foods, and that should do the trick.
P.S. As I mentioned, taking care of your gut health is crucial for your overall health. Click here and find out how you can boost your gut health with this surprising super “star”.