The role of probiotics in blood glucose regulation

Abstract:

As the economic level and living standards are rising, the incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a nutritional metabolic disease caused by overnutrition, has increased sharply. The elevated blood glucose level and complications seriously affect the quality of life of the patients and bring economic burden to the family. The drug treatment of T2DM has limitations and side effects. Although T2DM is difficult to be cured, some new therapies for regulating blood glucose have emerged with the deepening of research. Probiotics are safe, economical, and effective, and recent studies have shown that probiotics used alone or in combination with other therapies can lower blood glucose level and alleviate complications. Demonstrating a promising application prospect in the prevention and treatment of T2DM and the remodeling of intestinal microbiota, probiotics have become a hot research spot. While probiotics have the potential to overcome T2DM, the mechanism of probiotics in regulating blood glucose remain to be deciphered. This article reviews the role, application, prospect, and challenges of probiotics in blood glucose regulation, aiming to provide a theoretical basis for the development of microecological agents for blood glucose regulation in humans and companion animals.