Diabetes UK fund new research study for treating Type 2 diabetes
- Monday, January 14, 2019
Dr Astrid Hauge-Evans and her colleagues, Dr Adele Costabile and Dr Giulia Corona, from the Department of Life Sciences have been awarded nearly £15,000 to study “helpful” gut bacteria as a way of treating Type 2 diabetes.
Recent figures from Diabetes UK show the number of people being diagnosed with diabetes has doubled over the last 20 years. People living with Type 2 diabetes either won’t produce enough insulin or the insulin that they do produce won’t work properly (this is known as insulin resistance). According to Diabetes, UK about 90 per cent of people with diabetes have Type 2. Treatments include a healthy diet and increased physical activity, tablets, or insulin can also be required.
There are communities of millions of bacteria living inside us, particularly in our gut. The gut contains both friendly and hostile bacteria. The balance between these is important for our overall health. These bacteria is varies in people with and without Type 2 diabetes.
Dr Hauge-Evans and her team of researchers will be conducting a study to see if a diet high in wholegrains could alter these bacteria in people living with Type 2 diabetes and protect insulin-producing cells. This research study could provide a new diet-based way to treat or prevent Type 2 diabetes, helping to reduce the risk of serious complications and promote healthier living.
Dr Hauge-Evans said: “Our gut bacteria are important for our health but we don’t know so much about how they affect our ability to make insulin and protect insulin-producing cells. This is central for prevention and management of type 2 diabetes and we are therefore very grateful for this opportunity from Diabetes UK to investigate the impact of dietary wholegrain and bacteria on health in type 2 diabetes“.
Diabetes UK has been funding research for more than 80 years, leading to landmark discoveries which have transformed the lives of millions of people with diabetes. As the leading charitable funder of diabetes research in the UK, the charity continues to improve lives through pioneering research into all forms of diabetes and diabetes-related complications.
The Department of Life Sciences at the University of Roehampton offers an outstanding undergraduate degree in Nutrition and Health and staff undertake world-class research which changes lives and furthers our understanding of science.