Gut microbiota not involved in the incidence of gestational diabetes
mellitus
But gut microbiota may be modulated by fish oil and probiotics

Date:
September 9, 2020
Source:
University of Turku
Summary:
Consuming the combination of fish oil and probiotic food supplements
modulate the composition of gut microbiota in overweight and
obese pregnant women, reveals a new study. The same study shows
that gut microbiota composition and function is not related to
gestational diabetes.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Maternal overweight and obesity increase the risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Gut microbiota composition has recently been associated with
both overweight and a range of metabolic diseases. However, it has thus
far been unclear whether gut microbiota is involved in the incidence of gestational diabetes.


==========================================================================
A clinical study with the purpose to investigate the impact of two food supplements, fish oil and probiotics (containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus
HN001 and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis 420), on maternal and
child health was conducted at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital in Finland.

The microbiota was analysed from fecal samples of 270 overweight and
obese women using the state of the art analytical and bioinformatics
methods based on deep sequencing metagenomics analysis.

"Metagenomics is a next-generation sequencing tool that provides species
level resolution of the gut microbiota composition. Metagenomics also
provides information on the bacterial genes and gives clues about the
possible function of the gut microbiota," says Senior Researcher Kati
Mokkala from the Institute of Biomedicine of the University of Turku,
Finland.

"Our study shows that gut microbiota composition and function is not
involved in the onset of gestational diabetes in overweight and obese
women. Also, no difference were found in women with gestational diabetes
when compared to women remaining free from the condition," explains
Associate Professor Kirsi Laitinen from the Early Nutrition and Health
research group.

Probiotics have been shown to influence gut microbiota composition, but
the impact of the combination of probiotics and fish oil is less well characterized. The women were randomised into four groups to consume
two food supplements either as a combination or separately: fish oil
+ placebo, probiotics + placebo, fish oil + probiotics, or placebo +
placebo. The women consumed the supplements from early pregnancy onwards
until after the pregnancy.

"Interestingly, our study revealed that the combination of fish oil and probiotics modulated the composition of gut microbiota particularly in
women who did not develop gestational diabetes," Mokkala explains.

Whether the gut microbiota of women with gestational diabetes is less
amenable for modification by food supplements needs to be confirmed in
further studies.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Turku. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kati Mokkala, Niklas Paulin, Noora Houttu, Ella Koivuniemi, Outi
Pellonpera", Sofia Khan, Sami Pietila", Kristiina Tertti, Laura
L Elo, Kirsi Laitinen. Metagenomics analysis of gut microbiota
in response to diet intervention and gestational diabetes
in overweight and obese women: a randomised, double-blind,
placebo-controlled clinical trial. Gut, 2020; gutjnl-2020-321643
DOI: 10.1136/gutjnl-2020-321643 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200909114757.htm

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