Impact of probiotic intake on the glycemic control, lipid profile and inflammatory markers among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Background. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease with many dramatic complications. It has also been suggested that altered intestinal microbiota leads to increased intestinal permeability and mucosal immune response, contributing to the development of diabetes. We aimed to investigate the effect of introduction of probiotic products on glycemic control and inflammatory markers among patients with T2DM. Methods. The present work was carried on 150 patients with T2DM. The studied patients were subjected to full history taking, clinical examination and laboratory investigations including fasting blood glucose (FBG), 2 hours post prandial blood glucose (2hPP), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), HDL-C, LDL-C, C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL6) and tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF). They were divided into 3 groups each of 50 patients. They were all instructed to eat well-balanced diet. The first group was instructed to eat the well-balanced diet only, the second group received 2 cups of yogurt daily in addition to diet and the third group received one teaspoonful yeast daily in addition to diet. The effect of the intervention was evaluated after 16 weeks. Results. Patients receiving yogurt and the patients receiving yeast showed significant reduction of FBG, HbA1c, IL6, TNF-a, CRP and significant elevation of HDL-C compared to patients on diet only. The 3 groups showed significant reduction in 2hPP blood glucose and LDL-C. Conclusion. Probiotic intake in patients with T2DM has beneficial effect on glycemic control, lipid profile and inflammatory markers after 16 weeks.