Mixed
Gut microbiota composition and metabolite production are associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes, but current human evidence is largely associative and causality remains unproven due to scarcity of intervention data.
Current science does not support gut microbiota as a standalone, proven cause of obesity or diabetes in humans. While diet and lifestyle significantly shape the microbiome, interventions like probiotics or FMT are not yet standard, effective treatments for these conditions in humans. Focus on established factors: diet, physical activity, and medical management.
data showing causality in humans is scarce. In this review, we will discuss the quality of evidence supporting a causal role for the gut microbiome in the development of obesity and diabetes, in particular T2DM, in humans.
Why this rating
The paper is a review highlighting the scarcity of high-quality causal evidence in humans, relying heavily on mouse models for causality.
Source
Evaluating Causality of Gut Microbiota in Obesity and Diabetes in Humans
Abraham S. Meijnikman et al. · Endocrine Reviews · 2017
DOI 10.1210/er.2017-00192
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- Metformin use significantly alters gut microbiota composition and contributes to its beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis, acting as a strong confounder in metagenomic studies of T2DM.Good
- Dietary interventions can rapidly alter gut microbiota composition and function, but long-term changes require sustained dietary habits, and individual response varies significantly based on baseline microbial richness.Good
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
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