Comparative analysis of the efficacies of probiotic supplementation and glucose-lowering drugs for the treatment of type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Study answer

What this study found

Glucose-lowering drugs generally produced larger reductions in fasting blood glucose and HbA1c than probiotics, with GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors showing the strongest glycemic effects. Probiotic supplementation still showed beneficial metabolic effects, especially milder improvements in glycemic indices, insulin resistance, and lipid profiles. Probiotics were also associated with reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and some formulations lowered total cholesterol and triglycerides. Overall, probiotics may be more useful as an adjunct or for less severe type…

Study & population

Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies in adults with type 2 diabetes from multiple countries.

Intervention

Oral probiotic supplementation was evaluated in multiple formulations, including capsules, sachets, synbiotic food, soy milk, kefir, and fermented milk products.

Key limitation

The included evidence had substantial heterogeneity, reflecting different probiotic strains, delivery forms, doses, and short treatment durations of about 6 to 12 weeks.

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Original abstract