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Changing the pregnancy diet to promote "good" gut bacteria may reduce type 1 diabetes complications, according to a new study. This comes as researchers discovered that women who had a reduction in the bacteria that staves off inflammation had an increase of "bad" bacteria that over time causes damage to the intestinal lining. This damage, in turn, appears to be linked to a higher risk of complications during pregnancy for those with type 1 diabetes.
Researchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research found that there is a connection between inflammation of the gut and type 1 diabetes, according to Medical Xpress. When pregnant women are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, not only is there an increased risk for complications during the pregnancy but researchers believe that there may be a connection between the diabetes diagnosis and long-term effects on babies as well. However, they also believe that women with type 1 diabetes may be able to reduce their risk of complications with a change of diet alone.
The study, which was published in the journal, Microbiome found that women whose gut microbiome changed over time to have less "good" bacteria present to fight inflammation, promoted more "bad" bacteria growth. This caused inflammation to increase in the gut. The increased inflammation caused damage to the intestinal lining, along with the immune system being thrown out of balance. And this combination is linked to an increased risk of complications during pregnancy for those who have type 1 diabetes.
According to Parsley Health, more studies are finding associations between inflammation of the gut and autoimmune diseases. And given that 80 percent of the immune system is found in the gut, when the health of the gut is out of balance, there is a higher risk of an autoimmune disease developing, per the publication.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, according to Beyond Type 1. As such, the body is constantly attacking itself, seeing its own tissues as foreign invaders to the body. Therefore, it would make sense that there would be a link between inflammation in the gut and type 1 diabetes forming.
Type 1 diabetes is not gestational diabetes. Type 1 diabetes occurs when there is too little insulin being produced by the body, according to Cedars Sinai. Gestational diabetes, on the other hand, is the result of hormones from the placenta not using the insulin in the body properly.
To determine that a change in diet may make the gut microbiome healthier by producing more "good" bacteria, researchers studied "whole metagenome sequencing" samples of pregnant women, per the study. These samples were taken from women during different stages of their pregnancies.
What researchers believe is that if pregnant women are able to change their gut microbiome, then their pregnancy complication risks would be decreased, according to Medical Xpress. However, researchers state more studies need to be completed to see at what stages of pregnancy a change in the microbiome would be beneficial to both the mother-to-be and the unborn baby as well.
Researchers also want to do further studies on babies of mothers with type 1 diabetes to determine if their immune systems are compromised or if their gut microbiome is off balance. Only then will there be a true correlation between type 1 diabetes and long-lasting effects on both mothers and babies.
Source: Beyond Type 1, Cedars Sinai, Medical Xpress, Microbiome, Parsley Health