Evidence consistently suggests that dietary fiber provides protection from developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), but how that protection occurs has remained unclear. Now, researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine led by Qibin Qi, Ph.D., have found that eating more dietary fiber may protect people from T2D by promoting beneficial gut bacteria that produce beneficial substances (metabolites) when they utilize fiber. Their findings were published online on March 28 in Circulation Research, a journal of the American Heart Association.

Dr. Qi and his colleagues, including first author Zheng Wang, Ph.D., looked at data from more than 11,000 participants in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, for which Einstein is one of four national sites. The researchers found that higher fiber intake was associated with specific "good" bacterial species in participants’ gut microbiome and serum metabolites related to those bacteria that have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and improve glucose metabolism. Those gut microbes and metabolites were associated with lower risk of developing T2D during an average follow-up period of six years. Knowing which bacteria and metabolites are linked to higher fiber intake and lower risk for T2D could lead to personalized diets and other therapeutic strategies for people at risk for the disease.

Dr. Qi is professor of epidemiology & population health and associate director of epidemiology & population health center for population cohorts at Einstein, and a member of the National Cancer Institute–designated Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Wang is a research assistant professor of epidemiology & population health at Einstein.