When it comes to managing Type 2 Diabetes, most people zero in on one thing: blood sugar.
They count carbs, track A1C, watch every bite. But here’s the truth: You can do everything “right” and still stay stuck—if your gut health is out of balance.
That’s because your gut isn’t just about digestion. It plays a major role in how your body regulates blood sugar, inflammation, and energy.
So ask yourself this:
- Are you so focused on lowering your A1C that you’ve forgotten about probiotics?
- So dialed in on avoiding sugar that you’re skipping the fiber your gut bacteria need to thrive?
The typical North American diet is not gut-friendly. We’re exposed to processed foods, artificial sweeteners, low-fiber meals, pesticide residues, and chronic stress—each of which takes a toll on your gut microbiome. Even the overuse of antibiotics, whether taken personally or consumed via animal products, can disrupt this delicate internal ecosystem.
Imbalanced gut = blocked progress.
So even if you’re eating clean and trying hard, gut dysfunction reduces your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, regulate blood sugar, manage inflammation, and stabilize mood.
This is one of the most overlooked factors in diabetes care. So if your numbers aren’t moving… if your fatigue is lingering… or if you feel like your efforts just aren’t paying off—it’s time to look at your gut.
The Gut–Blood Sugar Connection
Your gut microbiome (aka the trillions of bacteria living in your intestines) is like a command center for many of your body’s key functions, including:
- How well you absorb nutrients from your food
- How your body regulates insulin
- How much inflammation is circulating through your system
- Your mood, energy, cravings, and appetite
When your gut is balanced and healthy, all of these processes work in harmony.
But when your microbiome is off (especially due to diet, stress, or medications) it starts to send the wrong signals. This can lead to:
- Poor glucose control
- More inflammation
- Stronger cravings
- Slower metabolism
- And slower progress overall
Why Most Americans Have Gut Dysfunction (Even If They Don’t Know It)
Modern life is not kind to the gut. Even if you haven’t been diagnosed with digestive issues, there’s a good chance your microbiome isn’t thriving. Here’s why:
- Highly Processed Foods
Processed foods aren’t just “empty calories.” They’re packed with preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial flavors, and inflammatory oils that harm your gut lining and confuse your microbiome. These ingredients can disrupt digestion, feed harmful bacteria, and fuel inflammation.
Even seemingly ‘healthy’ packaged foods like flavored yogurts or protein bars often contain additives that interfere with gut repair and metabolic health.
- Low Fiber Intake
Fiber isn’t just for digestion. It feeds your beneficial gut bacteria, helping them produce short-chain fatty acids that reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity. But most Americans get less than half the daily recommended amount.
Fiber is like fertilizer for your internal ecosystem. Without it, your gut can’t function optimally, and your blood sugar pays the price.
- Hidden Sugars & Artificial Sweeteners
Sugars feed bad bacteria. Artificial sweeteners confuse your system. Both contribute to gut dysbiosis, which worsens insulin resistance and makes it harder for your body to stabilize blood sugar levels naturally.
Patients often swap sugar for artificial sweeteners thinking it’s a better option. But those sweeteners disrupt gut balance and impair blood sugar regulation over time.
- Frequent Antibiotic Use
Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria. Even a short course can throw your microbiome off balance for months or years (especially without any follow-up gut support).
If you’ve had repeated antibiotics, your gut health may be working against you even if your diet is clean. We often need to restore the gut before we see blood sugar start to respond.
- Chronic Stress
Stress doesn’t just affect your mood. It affects your microbiome. It alters digestion, promotes gut permeability (leaky gut), and increases inflammation.
In my clinic, we often uncover stress-related gut dysfunction as a root cause of blood sugar imbalance. You can’t fix one without addressing the other.
Why This Matters If You’re Trying to Reverse Diabetes
You can be eating clean, exercising, and doing “everything right,” but if your gut is out of balance, your body will struggle to:
- Absorb nutrients that stabilize blood sugar
- Use insulin properly
- Fight off inflammation
- Regulate cravings and appetite
That’s why addressing gut health can often be the missing piece for people who feel stuck or frustrated with their results.
5 Things You Can Do to Improve Gut Health (Starting Now)
Here are three simple, evidence-based ways to start rebuilding a healthier gut:
- Eat More Whole, Unprocessed Foods
Stick to foods as close to nature as possible. This helps eliminate gut-disrupting additives and gives your body what it truly recognizes as food.
- Boost Your Fiber Intake
Focus on high-fiber vegetables, flax seeds, chia seeds, berries, legumes, and leafy greens. Aim for at least 25–30g of fiber per day, but increase slowly if your digestion is sensitive.
- Manage Stress (and Support the Nervous System)
Gentle practices like deep breathing, walking, or stretching help reduce stress-induced damage to the gut. You don’t need to meditate for hours—just creating more space to breathe can have a massive impact.
Final Thoughts from Dr. Shumard
Reversing Type 2 Diabetes isn’t just about cutting carbs or taking supplements. It’s about giving your body what it truly needs to heal.
We’ve seen patients go from frustrated and fatigued to energized and empowered—once we looked deeper at what was going on in their gut. If you’ve been stuck, this might be the key.
And if you’re not seeing results yet, don’t lose hope. Start with your gut, and you might be surprised how quickly your energy, digestion, and blood sugar start shifting.
