Lay summary
Safe and cost-effective strategies targeting 25% of adult New Zealanders with prediabetes are required to reduce the epidemic of type 2 diabetes and associated morbidity, mortality and health care costs. Our and other research has shown the benefit of 10-12 week Lactobacillus rhamnosus probiotic supplementation (6X10^9 cfu daily) in early pregnancy, which reduced the incidence of gestational diabetes by 50%. We are proposing a 12 month clinical trial to determine whether this probiotic can prevent the progression of prediabetes with or without intermittent fasting (consuming less than 600-650 kilo-calories daily on 2 days of every week). We wish to undertake a 12 week feasibility study to test the dose-response of Lactobacillus rhamnosus (6X10^8, 6X10^9, 6X10^10 cfu) among non-pregnant adults with prediabetes, and determine whether this has an effect on distribution of pancreatic and liver fat as detected by magnetic resonance procedures, as well as recruitment rate of potential participants.