Chinese medical journalFeb 28, 2020

Gut bacteria closely linked to the body’s internal clock in developing type 2 diabetes

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Updated Mar 31, 2026

Abstract

The interaction between and the circadian clock may play a significant role in the development of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a significant global health issue with unclear causes.
Irregular sleep patterns and unhealthy diets disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythms.
There is an emerging understanding that gut microbiota interacts with the circadian clock to influence metabolism.
The literature suggests a close relationship between gut microbiota regulation and circadian clock function in T2DM.
Exploring gut microbiota-directed therapies may offer new avenues for managing T2DM linked to circadian disruptions.

Simplified

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a worldwide epidemic disease, has caused tremendous economic and social burden, but the pathogenesis remains uncertain. Nowadays, the impact of unrhythmic circadian clock caused by irregular sleep and unhealthy diet on T2DM has be increasingly studied. However, the contribution of the endogenous circadian clock system to the development of T2DM has not yet been satisfactorily explored. It is now becoming clear that the and the circadian clock interact with each other to regulate the host metabolism. Considering all these above, we reviewed the literature related to the gut microbiota, circadian clock, and T2DM to elucidate the idea that the gut microbiota is closely tied to the regulation of the circadian clock in the development of T2DM, which provides potential for gut microbiota-directed therapies to ameliorate the effects of circadian disruptions linked to the occurrence and development of T2DM.

Key numbers

Increased Risk of T2DM

Risk increase for shift workers vs. non-shift workers.

100 trillion

Dysbiosis

Estimated number of bacteria in the human .

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Funding

Competing interests

None.

PubMed

Gut bacteria closely linked to the body’s internal clock in developing type 2 diabetes

Abstract

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Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief