Impact of dairy food products on type 2 diabetes: Gut-pancreas axis for lower glucose level

Background

Insulin resistance or inadequate pancreatic insulin secretion leads to high blood sugar levels. This is a key characteristic of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) - a noncommunicable disease. In recent studies, it has been suggested that dairy food products may have favorable impact on type 2 diabetes (T2DM) through the gut-pancreas axis, potentially leading to lower glucose levels. The gut-pancreas axis refers to communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the pancreas, which is involved in regulating glucose metabolism.

Scope and approach

This review aims to demonstrate the link between gut and pancreas axis and establish the impact of dairy food products in T2DM via gut-pancreas axis. To achieve a comprehensive review on how dairy food products interact with T2DM, databases were screened and relevant papers were included in the content.

Key finding and conclusions

Dairy products contain various components such as whey proteins, peptides and bioactive compounds that have been found to exert beneficial effects on glucose regulation. In research on the subject, it has been shown that consuming dairy products may improve insulin sensitivity, reduce insulin resistance and enhance pancreatic function, ultimately leading to better glycemic control in individuals with T2DM. Especially in studies conducted with probiotics or peptides isolated from dairy product, it has been observed that results that may be related to the gut-pancreas axis have been reached. In summary, dairy products contribute to the modulation of intestinal microbiota, improvement in intestinal permeability, increase in SCFA-producing bacteria, decrease in inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in tissues including liver and pancreas, especially in the intestine, and prevention of damage to pancreatic islets.