Is it time to throw everything we've learned so far about type 2 diabetes off the window?
In a very interesting study, it's been revealed that the root cause of type 2 diabetes is not really obesity but a bacterium: Staph.
University of Iowa researchers concluded in its study that constant exposure to the toxin may compel the body to exhibit the symptoms that are related to type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is different from type 1, which is also called juvenile diabetes. While the latter means the body doesn't produce insulin, the former refers to the damage on the beta cells of the pancreas, which then leads to insulin resistance.
Also viewed as a metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes is one of most common reasons of death around the world as its complications can lead to kidney disease and damage to the nerves. According to Centers for Disease and Prevention Control, at least 29 million or about 9% of the country's population have diabetes, a good number of which remain undiagnosed.
For this specific study, the researchers used rabbits, which they then exposed to the toxin for a certain period of time. During monitoring, they learned that the rabbits eventually develop resistance to insulin and glucose intolerance. They also acquired inflammation in various parts of the body.
They also tested the same assumption to certain patients with diabetes. Upon looking into the staph colonization on their skin, they discovered the same level of exposure with the rabbits.
The researchers also believe that it's the same bacteria that cause obesity, which is the huge risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The bacteria can cause significant damage into the microbiome, the same way obesity does. It's also possible that obese people have a particularly high level of this bacterium in their body.
Not only that, since the effect of the bacteria is systemic, it's more than likely this is also a risk factor in cervical cancer.
