Multi-Strain Probiotics Reduce Postprandial Blood Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes: Study
Three months of multi-strain probiotic supplementation significantly reduced postprandial blood glucose (PPBG) levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Improvements in fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, lipid profile, inflammatory markers, and oxidative stress markers were observed but did not reach statistical significance. The study was published in the journal BMC Nutrition by Kilavuz A. and colleagues.
Specifically, the trial aimed at determining the effects of modulating the gut microenvironment on metabolism, inflammation, and antioxidant responses among the diabetic subjects. The trial was carried out at the Faculty of Medicine, Ege University, during the period of July 2020 and June 2023. In the experiment, only adult diabetic patients aged between 35 and 65 years were enrolled. Patients were allocated systematically according to their sequence in clinical presentation in two different groups. These included the experimental treatment group and the control group. Participants in the experimental group were administered an orally taken multi-strain probiotic supplement two times per day for twelve consecutive weeks.
The oral probiotic preparation administered in this study included microorganisms such as Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus paracasei. In addition to others, body measurements, nutrition, exercise, and quality of life were measured during this experimental process. The following parameters were assessed from blood samples: glucose homeostasis, lipids, inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity C-reactive protein and ceruloplasmin, and oxidative damage through malondialdehyde and glutathione.
Key findings:
- Of 80 initial participants in the study, 77 were able to successfully complete all of the 12-weeks of treatment protocol, with an average age of 55.38 ± 6.40 years and with an initial percentage of females in the study being 42.86%.
- The total number of individuals who were included in further evaluation comprised of 39 patients assigned to an active probiotic supplement group, and 38 patients in the control group.
- After 12 weeks of twice-daily administration, highly significant internal decreases in FBG, PPBG, HbA1c, LDL-C, Non-HDL-C and oxidative stress parameter, malondialdehyde (MDA) (P < 0.001, p = 0.003, p = 0.004, p = 0.044, p = 0.034, and p = 0.001, respectively) were observed in the group of patients on probiotics.
- As opposed to all the aforementioned findings, the comparison of two groups revealed that after 12 weeks of supplementation, only postprandial blood glucose levels have shown to be statistically significant in patients with T2DM (p = 0.038).
In summary, the use of multi-strain probiotics for three months in people with T2DM brought about a statistically significant decrease in PPBG but not FBG, HbA1c, lipid profile, and markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, which only improved significantly. However, these promising results suggest that modulation of the intestinal microbiome is a feasible treatment strategy in type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Reference:
Kilavuz, Asli, et al. "Effects of Multistrain Probiotics On Metabolic Biomarkers, Inflammation, and Antioxidant System in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: a Prospective Controlled Trial in Türkiye." BMC Nutrition, 2026.
