Regardless of the small sampling in this study the results do point to differences in gut bacteria between children with and without diabetes. It makes me think- acidophilus for everyone! It may not be a bad idea if you are living with type 1 diabetes.
The study was carried out with 16 children with type 1 diabetes and 16 “healthy children” (that description makes me laugh, what’s so unhealthy about having type 1 diabetes- not so PC in my honest opinion).
When I began to read the study I was hoping the gut bacteria study was in newly diagnosed kiddos. I think that would be another interesting angle to look at. However, they were not looking at that but were rather looking at relationships between blood sugars and gut bacteria.
“This is the first study showing that type 1 diabetes is associated with compositional changes in gut microbiota. The significant differences in the number of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus and Clostridium and in the Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio observed between the two groups could be related to the glycemic level in the group with diabetes.”
“Moreover, the quantity of bacteria essential to maintain gut integrity was significantly lower in the children with diabetes than the healthy children. These findings could be useful for developing strategies to control the development of type 1 diabetes by modifying the gut microbiota.” ~ 7thspace.com
With decreased levels of gut bacteria in this population perhaps diet teaching may be in order. Fermented foods, yogurt and kefirs with active cultures and supplements may be beneficial to people living with type 1 diabetes.