A chalkboard reads, "Diabetes."
New research indicates bacteria may play a role in developing diabetes. (For Spectrum Health Beat)

If you don’t have Type 2 diabetes, you likely know someone who does. And your chances of becoming diabetic increase with every stop at a fast food restaurant.

The disease seems to be raging throughout the U.S., triggered in large part by unhealthy lifestyles.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “more than 29 million people in the United States have diabetes, up from the previous estimate of 26 million in 2010.

“Another 86 million adults—more than one in three U.S. adults—have pre-diabetes, where their blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. Without weight loss and moderate physical activity, 15 percent to 30 percent of people with pre-diabetes will develop Type 2 diabetes within five years.”

Health providers are scrambling to meet the increasing care needs of patients living with diabetes. Researchers working to identify a potential cure recently found that acquiring the disease may not be the patient’s fault—at least not directly.

A new study from the University of Iowa determined that bacteria can lead to Type 2 diabetes. That means that therapies aimed at eliminating staph bacteria or neutralizing the identified super-antigens could someday prevent or better treat Type 2 diabetes.

Mohammad Kawji, MD, an endocrinologist with Spectrum Health Medical Group, isn’t particularly surprised at these findings.

“The relation between gut microbiota and obesity-related disorders, including diabetes, are complex,” Dr. Kawji said. “There are multiple factors affecting gut microbiota, including diet, breast-feeding during infancy, environmental exposure, genes and antibiotic use.”

While this new research is helpful, the diabetes specialist says that, at least for now, it still comes back to a healthy diet and regular exercise.

“A high-fat, high-carbohydrate diet can alter gut microbiota and fatty acid metabolism and increase insulin resistance, which predisposes a person to develop diabetes,” he said. “A high-fat diet changes gut microbiota to ‘obese microbiota’ and makes the body store more energy and fat.”

On the contrary, Dr. Kawji said, “a healthy diet can change gut microbiota and impact your metabolism and energy expenditure in a good way.”