Gut microbiome shifts from sugary drinks linked to higher risk of diabetes

Gut microbiome shifts from sugary drinks linked to higher risk of diabetes

In a recently published study inCell metabolismResearchers are studying the association between sugary beverage intake and gut microbiota-mediated changes in serum metabolite levels that may mitigate the risk of diabetes.

How do sugary drinks cause diabetes?

Intake of sugary drinks is associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. In addition to diabetes itself, drinking sugary beverages is associated with several factors that increase the risk of this metabolic disease, including excessive weight gain, insulin resistance, inflammation, and dyslipidemia.

In the United States, various policies, regulations, and campaigns have been implemented to reduce the intake of sweetened beverages. Although these efforts have significantly reduced their intake, sugary drinks contribute to 48% of excess sugar intake among adults.

Recent evidence suggests that sugary drink changes in the composition of the gut microbiome may attenuate the association between sugary drink intake and diabetes risk. Specifically, fructose and glucose intake resulted in reduced microbial diversity, lower fecal fatty chain fatty acid (SCFA), and increased proliferation of proinflammatory bacteria in several animal models.

Despite these reports, few studies have integrated gut microbiome and blood metabolome data to investigate the mechanisms involved in the association between diabetes risk and sugary beverage consumption.

About the study

In the current study, researchers are investigating whether sugary drinks alter gut microbiota composition and circulating metabolites and how these changes are associated with metabolic traits and diabetes risks.

Certain minority groups in the United States are associated with greater sugary beverage consumption and a higher burden of diabetes. The current analysis selected the U.S. Hispanic/Latino population using data from the ongoing population-based Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

The current study included 2,970 study participants with available gut microbiome data. To examine the associations of serum metabolites with sugary beverage intake and metabolic characteristics, 6,115 participants with dietary and serum metabolite data were included in the analysis.

Important observations

Sugary beverage intake was associated with altered abundance of nine gut microbial species, seven and two of which were negatively and positively associated with sugary beverage intake, respectively. In particular, it was notedClostridium BoldeaeAndAnaerostipes Caccae.

A total of 179 circulating metabolites were associated with the gut microbiota score derived from these nine microbial species with altered abundance. Among these metabolites, 56 were associated with sugary beverage intake, and gut microbiota scored in consistent directions. These metabolites included glycerophospholipids, amino acid derivatives, aromatic amino acid derivatives and phenylsulfate derivatives.

Higher glycerophospholipid levels and branched chain amino acid metabolites were associated with worse metabolic traits. In comparison, higher levels of aromatic amino acid metabolites and phenylsulfate metabolites were associated with more favorable metabolic traits.

Higher glycerophospholipid levels and branched chain amino acid metabolites, as well as lower aromatic metabolites, were associated with a higher risk of incident diabetes during the study follow-up period.

Study limitations

Notable limitations of the current study include the collection of gut microbiome samples and dietary data at different time points, which may lead to attenuation of the observed associations as participants' dietary habits and gut microbiome may change over time. In addition, the short follow-up period of three years prevented researchers from clearly determining the association between gut microbiota and pre-existing diabetes.

The metabolomics method used in the current study cannot measure all metabolites, including SCFAs, which are typically measured using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Additionally, the lack of analyzes considering Hispanic/Latino background, gender, and socioeconomic status prevents researchers from determining how these other factors may influence the association between sugary beverage intake, gut microbiome composition, and blood metabolite levels.

Future direction

The study results highlight the potential role of gut microbiota and related circulating metabolite profiles in influencing the mechanisms involved in the association between sugary beverage intake and the risk of diabetes. Nevertheless, additional studies from other demographic populations are needed to clarify the relationship between sugary beverage intake, gut microbiota composition, circulating metabolite levels, and the risk of developing diabetes.

Previous studies examining the association between sugary beverage intake and gut microbiota composition have used 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RRNA) sequencing, which is not a high-throughput method and has low resolution. In comparison, researchers in the current study used metagenomic shotgun sequencing, which can identify even low-envelope bacteria and provide species-level taxonomic data.

Despite these differences, the study results are consistent with previous studies showing that sugary beverage intake is associated with lower abundances of beneficial metabolite-producing bacteria and higher abundances of bacteria that use glucose and fructose for growth. Additionally, sugary drink frequency of certain bacteria was associated with changes in blood metabolite levels.

Although some of these metabolites were associated with poorer metabolic characteristics and a higher risk of diabetes, these associations were attenuated after adjusting for the participant's body mass index (BMI). Therefore, the presence of obesity likely mediates the relationship between sugary beverage intake, serum metabolites, and diabetes risks.

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