Breakthrough in Diabetes Research: Gut Bacteria as Natural Ozempic?

Chinese scientists have discovered that certain gut bacteria can affect hormones that control sugar and appetite – similar to the popular drug Ozempic. In studies on mice, they managed to increase the secretion of natural substances that regulate hunger and blood glucose levels.

Popular drugs like Ozempic work by mimicking the action of the hormone GLP-1 , which regulates blood sugar levels and feelings of fullness . The problem is that people with type 2 diabetes often have problems producing it. A Chinese team of researchers from Jiangnan University decided to see if the body could be stimulated to naturally produce this hormone .

It turns out that the key may lie in the gut microflora . The researchers noticed that increasing the number of Bacteroides vulgatus bacteria in sick mice helped control the level of GLP-1 . And that led to increased secretion of another hormone – FGF21 – which, as previous studies have shown, can reduce sugar cravings .

In experiments , it turned out that without the Ffar4 protein in the intestines , the B. vulgatus bacteria weakened, and the body secreted less FGF21 . This in turn caused a greater desire to reach for sweet products . Interestingly, similar relationships were also detected in humans. In studies involving 60 patients with type 2 diabetes and 24 healthy people, it was noted that mutations of the Ffar4 gene - reducing the production of FGF21 - were associated with a greater tendency to eat sweets .

The research team confirmed that administering B. vulgatus metabolites to mice increased GLP-1 secretion, which triggered further reactions leading to the secretion of FGF21 . As a result, the mice had better control over their blood sugar levels and had less desire for sugar .

While the results are promising, the researchers admit it’s not yet known whether the same mechanism would work in humans. Still, the study’s authors say their findings “provide a strategy for preventing diabetes ”—and do it naturally, by affecting the gut microbiome .