 Insulin is a critical hormone in our bodies. It's produced in response to elevated blood sugar and tells our muscle and liver cells to absorb that sugar. However, in some abnormal situations, our cells start resisting insulin's signal. Insulin resistance can lead to pre-diabetes and even full-blown type 2 diabetes. But researchers recently discovered that the gut bacterium elastopies indistinctus might help reduce blood sugar and increase sensitivity to insulin. The trillions of bacteria in our gut help us break down carbohydrates from our diet. Some researchers have suspected that these microbes play a role in an individual's tendency towards insulin resistance, but the connection has remained unclear because of a lack of metabolic data. This is the gap that the team from the Rekin Center for Integrative Medical Sciences set out to close. They tackled the problem by comprehensively analyzing fecal metabolite and microbe data from over 300 adults after a thorough medical examination. They found that individuals with more insulin resistance had higher levels of certain types of carbohydrates called simple sugars in their feces. The researchers also uncovered associations among various bacterial groups, low-grade inflammation, and these sugars in the fecal samples from the study participants. More research will be needed to untangle these relationships, but they present many useful new avenues to pursue. In this study, the researchers honed in on the bacterial order bacteroidalese. Members of this bacterial group were associated with reduced insulin resistance and lower levels of simple sugars observed in data from earlier in the study. Lab tests determined that bacteroidalese bacteria could degrade these sugars. Here is where Alistapy's Indistinctus enters the picture. The species is a member of bacteroidalese, and of the bacteria tested, it was able to consume the widest array of simple sugars. When the team gave Alistapy's Indistinctus to obese mice, it reduced their blood sugar and the levels of simple sugars in their feces. Ultimately, Alistapy's Indistinctus administration reduced insulin resistance. More research is needed to understand exactly how this bacterial species impacts insulin resistance and carbohydrate metabolism. Also, trials in humans will be needed before it can be used as a probiotic. Regardless, this study represents a step forward in the fight against metabolic disease and could lead to better treatments for people dealing with insulin resistance.