Study: Bacteria is root cause of obesity, diabetes

Singapore: A new research conducted by researchers at the Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), China, revealed that certain enteric bacteria may be the leading cause of obesity or diabetes in humans.

The study provided key empirical evidence in support of 'Gut Origin of Chronic Diseases', a theory which suggests that enteric dysbacteriosis may be the key factor that induces human obesity or diabetes.

Scientists led by SJTU professor Zhao Liping, published the research in the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) journal on December 13.The paper highlighted that a pathogen that had been isolated from the gut of an obese human induced obesity and insulin resistance in germ-free mice.

In the clinical study, they found the excessive growth of one endotoxin-producing bacterium, accounting for 35 percent of the gut bacteria, in an obese patient whose initial weight was 175 kg. After the intervention with specialized nutritional formula, the bacterium decreased to non-detectable and the patient lost 51.4 kg and recovered from hyperglycemia and hypertension.