Obesity,diabetes, and the gut microbiome: an updated review

Introduction: Obesity and diabetes are two of the most prevalent health problems and leading causes of death globally. As research on the intestinal microbiome increases, so does our understanding of its intricate relationship to these diseases, although this has yet to be fully elucidated.

Areas covered: This review evaluates the role of the gut microbiome in obesity and diabetes, including the influences of internal and environmental factors. Literature searches were performed using the keywords ‘diabetes,’ ‘insulin resistance,’ ‘gut microbiome,’ ‘gut microbes,’ ‘obesity,’ and ‘weight gain.’

Expert commentary: Highlights of recent research include new findings regarding the effects of caloric restriction, which expound the importance of diet in shaping the gut microbiome, and studies reinforcing the lasting implications of antibiotic use for diabetes and obesity, particularly repeated doses in early childhood.

Mechanistically, interactions between the microbiome and the host innate immune system, mediated by TLR4-LPS signaling, have been shown to meditate the metabolic benefits of caloric restriction. Further, gut microbes haven now been shown to regulate oxygen availability via butyrate production, thus protecting against the proliferation of pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella. However, many microbial metabolites remain unidentified and their roles in obesity and diabetes remain to be determined.