Gut Bug Composition Linked to Early Signs of Obesity and Diabetes Twin study controls for genetics and upbringing

"If these microbial shifts play a causal role in the onset of obesity or type 2 diabetes, they may represent not only novel markers for early diagnosis, but also a target for preventative therapeutic intervention," wrote the authors. "Even if these shifts are not ultimately the primary causal agents behind their associated diseases, microbial dysbioses may still be manipulated to avert disease onset, and their specifics are likely to improve our mechanistic understanding of host-microbiota interaction and its role in disease prevention and treatment." Previous research has shown that the microbiome plays a role in some metabolic disorders, but the link isn't well understood. Some of this research has indicated that the composition of microbiota look different in obese and diabetic patients than in healthy controls, but Yassour and colleagues added that there's no "strong consensus" across studies in differences between obese and lean patients, adding that this may be because of biological reasons or because of inconsistent measuring techniques. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Endocrinology/MetabolicSyndrome/56267?xid=nl_mpt_DHE_2016-02-19&eun=g721819d0r