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The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing globally. Probiotics have been shown to be an effective intervention for diabetes. This study focused on the relieving effects and possible mechanisms of 16 strains of two dominant <i>Bifidobacterium</i> species (<i>B. bifidum</i> and <i>B. adolescentis</i>, which exist in the human gut at different life stages) on type 2 diabetes (T2D). The results indicated that more <i>B. adolescentis</i> strains appeared to be superior in alleviating T2D symptoms than <i>B. bifidum</i> strains. This effect was closely related to the ability of <i>B. adolescentis</i> to restore the homeostasis of the gut microbiota, increase the abundance of short-chain fatty acid-producing flora, and alleviate inflammation in mice with T2D. In addition, compared with <i>B. bifidum</i>, <i>B. adolescentis</i> had a higher number of core genes, and these genes were more evolutionarily stable, including unique environmental tolerance, carbon and nitrogen utilization genes, and a blood sugar regulation gene, <i>glgP</i>. This may be one of the reasons why <i>B. adolescentis</i> is more likely to colonize in the adult gut and show a superior ability to relieve T2D. This study provides insights into future studies aimed at investigating probiotics for the treatment of metabolic diseases.