Diet, Microbioma, and Diabetes in Aging

Abstract

To describe the relationships between gut microbiota (GM), metabolism, immune system, and the association with the development of type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM); to gather up to date researches investigating the role of diet in the prevention and management of T2DM, in particular in older ages. An overwhelming number of microbes colonize the human body, and most of them reside in the gut. The appropriate integration between the gut environment components, the host metabolism, and the host immune system is considered a key marker of health. Changes in the balance between these components, basically defined as dysbiosis, can trigger, therefore, metabolic and immune responses, leading to systemic inflammation. These changes are associated with insulin resistance in different body tissues, playing critical roles in the induction and progression of T2DM. Different nutritional interventions have shown promising modulation in gut microbiota, for instance, pre-, pro-, and synbiotics, as well as high-fiber foods, such as fruits and vegetables. Dietary patterns considered to be anti-inflammatory, such as the Mediterranean, have shown critical modulatory effects. Despite the fascinating findings regarding the role of GM in the host’s metabolism and immunity, there are still lacks in the knowledge about the best strategies to modulate the GM and improvement of health.