Probiotic supplementation may benefit patients with prediabetes, diabetes or gestational diabetes

China: The supplementation of probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic may improve blood sugar profile among patients with type 2 diabetes/gestational diabetes, gestational women with normal glucose, or people with prediabetes, according to results from a meta-analysis published in Public Health. 

Previous studies have investigated the effects of probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic supplementation on blood glucose profiles in patients with diabetes. However, the results have not been consistent. 

Considering the above, Z. Wang, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China, and colleagues conducted a systematic search from online databases (PubMed, Embase, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Central) to identify high-quality clinical trials examining the effect of probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic supplementation on blood glucose profiles [including hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), fasting blood glucose (FBG), and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)] up to December 2020. To investigate the different effects among different populations, subgroup analyses by types or durations of probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic supplementation were conducted. The final analyses included a total of 39 trials with 3517 participants. 

"In patients with type 2 diabetes/gestational diabetes, persons with prediabetes, or gestational women with normal glucose, probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic supplementation might improve the blood glucose profiles," the researchers wrote. "There is a need for trials with more sophisticated design to validate the results in the future."

Reference:

Wang, Z, et al. "Effects of Probiotic/prebiotic/synbiotic Supplementation On Blood Glucose Profiles: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials." Public Health, vol. 210, 2022, pp. 149-159.