Health

Trendy vibrating plates may slash your risk of type 2 diabetes


Trendy exercise machines which simply vibrate the body may help ward off type 2 diabetes, research suggests.

Scientists found exposing mice to ‘whole body vibration’ – the method behind the devices – boosted the number of cells that fight inflammation.

This led to changes in the rodents’ gut bacteria, which enabled them to break down glucose in their food better.

Glucose is used by the body for fuel, however, too much can trigger inflammation, insulin sensitivity and eventually diabetes.

The researchers at Augusta University, Georgia, hope whole body vibration may one day be used as an easy, safe treatment for diabetics.

Many dieters turn to trendy vibrating plates (pictured, stock) to help them shed the pounds. But research suggests the devices may also ward off type 2 diabetes

Many dieters turn to trendy vibrating plates (pictured, stock) to help them shed the pounds. But research suggests the devices may also ward off type 2 diabetes

The devices, which simulate conventional exercise with no exertion, are already known to help weight loss. 

However, this study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences found the devices had a biological effect on mice.  

More than 100 million adults in the US live with diabetes or prediabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Prediabetes is defined as a person’s blood sugar levels being higher than normal but not elevated enough to be considered diabetes.

And in the UK, 3.8 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes, Diabetes UK statistics show.

In both nations, more than 90 per cent of diabetics have type 2, which is associated with being overweight or obese. 

To see if vibration could help, the researchers gave the ‘treatment’ to both healthy and diabetic mice for 20 minutes, five times a week, over 42 days.

Results revealed a shift in the mice’s production of macrophages. These are immune-fighting cells that destroy bacteria and other pathogens.

The whole body vibration led to significantly more M2 macrophages, which suppress inflammation – linked to diabetes.

It also reduced M1 cells, which promote inflammation, to normal levels among the diabetic mice.

WHAT IS TYPE 2 DIABETES?

Type 2 diabetes is a condition which causes a person’s blood sugar to get too high.

More than 4million people in the UK are thought to have some form of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is associated with being overweight and you may be more likely to get it if it’s in the family.

The condition means the body does not react properly to insulin – the hormone which controls absorption of sugar into the blood – and cannot properly regulate sugar glucose levels in the blood.

Excess fat in the liver increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes as the buildup makes it harder to control glucose levels, and also makes the body more resistant to insulin. 

Weight loss is the key to reducing liver fat and getting symptoms under control.

Symptoms include tiredness, feeling thirsty, and frequent urination.

It can lead to more serious problems with nerves, vision and the heart.

Treatment usually involves changing your diet and lifestyle, but more serious cases may require medication.

Source: NHS Choices; Diabetes.co.uk

The researchers, led by Dr Jack Yu, also noted an increase in other anti-inflammatory molecules, such as cytokine IL-10.

The vibrations are thought to alter the microorganisms of the mice. In particular, numbers of the bacterium Alistipes rose by 17 times.

Alistipes, which is usually found in the gut in relatively small numbers, produces short chain fatty acids like butyrate.

Butyrate comes about from the fermentation of fibre in the gut, which then feeds bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.

The fatty acid is ‘highly anti-inflammatory and can help reverse ill effects of high-fat diets’, the researchers wrote.

Alistipes, found in plants, also makes the body more proficient at transforming glucose into energy.   

In a second part of the experiment, the researchers gave mice an ‘Alistipes tablet’, alongside 10 minutes of vibration.

They found this ‘smaller dose’ worked just as well as the 20-minute vibration session. And as the Alistipes dose went up, the animals’ glucose use improved.

‘The sequencing is not yet completely clear,’ Dr Yu said. ‘But it appears to be a closed loop, feed forward, self-magnifying cycle.’

Although unclear, the researchers believe vibrations ‘rearrange the layers of the microbiome’. 

They hope their study will lead to treatments that target chronic inflammation, which has been linked to everything from arthritis and diabetes to cancer.  

The researchers plan to test their theory further by ‘deleting’ macrophages from mice and monitoring what happens.

The study is not the first time vibration has been associated with favourable diabetes outcomes.

A 2012 study linked it to lower Hba1c levels, a measure of a person’s blood sugar over two to three months.

And a 2017 trial of obese animals found whole body vibration was as effective at reducing body fat and improving muscle tone as walking on a treadmill.

It also lowered fat around the animals’ livers, which has been linked to damage comparable to heavy drinking.   



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