What is already known
Drinking sugary beverages such as soda is linked to a higher risk of diabetes, in part due to weight gain and inflammation. Recent studies suggested that these drinks may also disrupt gut bacteria, which could further increase diabetes risk. However, more research is needed, especially in diverse populations, to fully understand how gut bacteria, metabolism and sugary drinks are connected.
What this research adds
Researchers examined data from 1,741 U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults and found that people who drank more sugary beverages showed alterations in nine gut bacterial species, including some that help produce beneficial short-chain fatty acids. These bacteria were also associated with 56 blood metabolites affecting glucose metabolism and diabetes risk.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that gut bacteria may play a role in diabetes development.
Drinking sugary beverages such as soda is linked to a higher risk of diabetes, in part due to weight gain and inflammation. Now, data from more than 1,700 people revealed that those who drank more sugary beverages had changes in bacterial species and metabolites associated with diabetes risks.
The findings, published in Cell Metabolism, suggest that gut bacteria may play a role in diabetes development.
“Our study suggests a potential mechanism to explain why sugar-sweetened beverages are bad for your metabolism,” says study senior author Qibin Qi at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. “Although our findings are observational, they provide insights for potential diabetes prevention or management strategies using the gut microbiome.”
Recent studies suggest that sugary drinks may disrupt gut bacteria, which could in turn increase diabetes risk. However, more research is needed, especially in diverse populations, to fully understand how gut bacteria, metabolism and sweetened beverages are connected.
So, Qi and his colleagues set out to investigate how drinking sugary beverages affects gut bacteria and diabetes risk in U.S. Hispanic/Latino adults.
Diverse data
The researchers used data from the Hispanic Community Health Study — a large research project that examines the health of more than 16,000 Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States. The study looked at several types of information, including the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, gut microbiome data and blood metabolite profiles. It also considered health markers such as glucose levels and obesity measures to assess diabetes risk.
The team found that 11.6% of participants consumed two or more servings of sugary beverages per day. People who drank more sugary beverages showed alterations in nine gut bacterial species. Some of these bacteria increased in abundance with higher consumption of the drinks, while others decreased.
These microbial changes were linked to alterations in 173 blood metabolites. Of these, 56 were linked to the consumption of sugary drinks. Like gut microbes, some of these metabolites increased in abundance with higher consumption of the beverages, while others decreased.
Metabolic health
Next, the researchers examined the relationship between gut bacteria, metabolites and conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Some metabolites were associated with higher diabetes risk, while others appeared to have a protective effect. This result suggests that certain metabolites can drive the harmful effects of sugary drinks on glucose metabolism.
The consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages was also linked to changes in four bacterial species that produce short-chain fatty acids, which are involved in maintaining metabolic health. These bacteria were less abundant in those who consumed a higher amount of sugary drinks compared with those who didn’t, the researchers found.
“These findings suggest a potential role of gut microbiota and microbial metabolites in the link between [sugar-sweetened beverages] intake and diabetes risk, though studies from other populations and well-designed intervention studies are still necessary to better understand the relationships among [sugar-sweetened beverages] intake, gut microbiota, circulating metabolites, and diabetes risk,” the authors say.
