Research
Hormonal
Prebiotics and probiotics can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce inflammation, and enhance glucose tolerance in humans, though long-term safety and clinical endpoints require further study.
Taking prebiotics (fiber) and probiotics (beneficial bacteria) may help improve your gut health, insulin sensitivity, and reduce inflammation. However, these are not magic cures. They work best as part of a healthy lifestyle that includes a balanced diet and avoiding excessive fat and antibiotics.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
several short-term randomized controlled trials showed the benefit of prebiotics and probiotics on insulin sensitivity, inflammatory markers, postprandial incretins, and glucose tolerance.
Why this rating
RCTs show benefits on surrogate markers, but long-term clinical outcomes and safety are not yet established.
Source
Obesity, Diabetes, and Gut Microbiota
Giovanni Musso et al. · Diabetes Care · 2010
DOI 10.2337/dc10-0556
narrative_reviewCited 666×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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