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World J Diabetes. Apr 15, 2015; 6(3): 403-411
Published online Apr 15, 2015. doi: 10.4239/wjd.v6.i3.403
Gut microbiota and Ma-Pi 2 macrobiotic diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes
Francesco Fallucca, Lucia Fontana, Sara Fallucca, Mario Pianesi
Francesco Fallucca, “In Unam Sapientiam” Foundation, University La Sapienza, 00161 Rome, Italy
Francesco Fallucca, Mario Pianesi, International Study Center for Environment, Agriculture, Food, Health and Economics, 00161 Rome, Italy
Lucia Fontana, Unit of Dietology and Diabetology, Sandro Pertini Hospital, 00157 Rome, Italy
Sara Fallucca, Department of Endocrinology and Diabetes, University Campus Bio-Medico, 00128 Rome, Italy
Author contributions: Fallucca F and Pianesi M conceived and designed the manuscript; Fallucca F, Fontana L and Fallucca S searched the literature and selected relevant studies; Fallucca F and Fontana L drafted the manuscript; Fallucca S and Pianesi M critically reviewed the manuscript drafts; all authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest: The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Correspondence to: Francesco Fallucca, Professor, “In Unam Sapientiam” Foundation, University La Sapienza, Largo Ettore Marchiafava 1, 00161 Rome, Italy. francesco.fallucca@gmail.com
Telephone: +39-06-8605616
Received: August 28, 2014
Peer-review started: August 30, 2014
First decision: December 17, 2014
Revised: January 10, 2015
Accepted: January 30, 2015
Article in press: February 2, 2015
Published online: April 15, 2015
Processing time: 234 Days and 9.9 Hours
Abstract

In the past 10 years the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has increased hugely worldwide, driven by a rise in the numbers of overweight and obese individuals. A number of diets have been shown to be effective for the management of T2DM: the Mediterranean diet, the vegetarian diet and the low-calorie diet. Results of studies clearly indicate, however, that the efficacy of these diets is not solely related to the biochemical structure of the individual nutrients they contain. This review discusses this point with reference to the potential role of the intestinal microbiota in diabetes. The macrobiotic Ma-Pi 2 diet is rich in carbohydrates, whole grains and vegetables, with no animal fat or protein or added sugar. In short- and medium-term trials conducted in patients with T2DM, the Ma-Pi 2 diet has been found to significantly improve indicators of metabolic control, including fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, the serum lipid profile, body mass index, body weight and blood pressure. The diet may also alter the gut microbiota composition, which could additionally affect glycemic control. As a result, the Ma-Pi 2 diet could be considered a valid additional short- to medium-term treatment for T2DM.

Keywords: Ma-Pi 2 macrobiotic diet; Type 2 diabetes; Low-grade inflammation; Gut microbiota; Metabolic control

Core tip: Imbalances in the intestinal microbiota (dysbiosis) have been linked to diseases, including diabetes. In short- and medium-term trials conducted in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the Ma-Pi 2 diet, which is rich in carbohydrates, whole grains and vegetables, with no animal fat or protein or added sugar, has been found to significantly improve indicators of metabolic control, including fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, the serum lipid profile, body mass index, body weight and blood pressure. The diet may also alter the gut microbiota composition. Hence, the Ma-Pi 2 diet could be considered a valid additional short- to medium-term treatment for T2DM.