Lowering blood sugar has been found to reduce the risk of chronic disease-related complications, such as kidney disease, nerve damage, amputations and blindness in diabetic patients. Yet the lack of compliance many patients display in taking diabetic medications hinders the effectiveness of this flawed approach.
With that in mind, researchers may have uncovered an alternative treatment for controlling blood glucose levels that deters the need for pill popping: An herb that can be taken with food or in a beverage.
The herb, Salacia oblonga, is native to regions of India and Sri Lanka. It attaches to intestinal enzymes, known as alpha-glucosidases, which break down carbohydrates in the body; the enzymes turn the carbohydrates into glucose. However, if the enzymes attach to the herbal extract instead of the carbohydrate, then less glucose gets into the bloodstream, resulting in lowered blood glucose and insulin levels.
Testing the Affect of Salacia Oblonga
A study involved 39 healthy adults who participated in four separate meal tolerance tests--the meals were given in chilled beverage form and spaced three to 14 days apart.
Each participant fasted for at least 10 hours prior to consuming the test beverage.
Participants drank approximately two cups worth of the beverage, which contained zero, 500, 700 or 1,000 milligrams of the extract.
Afterward, researchers used the finger-prick method to draw blood samples from each participant every 15-30 minutes for three hours.
Findings from the study showed the most dramatic reduction in insulin and blood glucose levels resulted from the highest concentration of the herbal extract--1,000 milligrams. In fact, insulin levels were 29 percent lower and blood glucose levels were 23 percent lower, compared to the control drink (zero herbal extract).
Moreover, the test beverages containing the herbal extract caused an increase in breath hydrogen excretion, as well as minimal gastrointestinal discomfort in the participants.
Journal of the American Dietetic Association January, 2005;105(1):65-71
Science Daily February 20, 2005
The Ohio State University February 7, 2005
Showing posts with label Diabetes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Diabetes. Show all posts
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Spices, Herbs Boost Health for Diabetics
(HealthDay News) -- Spices may do more than flavor your food: New research suggests a shake of this and a pinch of that could also boost the health of diabetics.
Researchers bought 24 herbs and spices and found that many appear to have the power to inhibit tissue damage and inflammation brought on by high blood-sugar levels in the body.
The study didn't examine the direct effects of spices on diabetics. Also, spices are typically used in small amounts, making it unclear if those who eat them would get much benefit.
Still, "this gives people a tool to work with in terms of keeping their health as they want it to be," said study co-author James Hargrove, an associate professor at the University of Georgia.
Hargrove and his colleagues were intrigued by spices because they're rich in antioxidants, which are thought to protect cells from damage. "One can put a lot of antioxidant power into meals by using spices" without making people fatter, he said. "Because of the way they're prepared, herbs and spices tend to have low calorie contents."
In addition, spices are cheaper than many other food products, he said.
The researchers decided to look into the anti-inflammatory properties of spices. "We said, 'Let's just go to Wal-Mart, get all the McCormick brand spices we can find, and check those. That was as complicated as our study design was."
The findings appear in a recent issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food.
In laboratory tests, the researchers found that many of the spices and extracts appeared to inhibit a process known as glycation, which has been linked to inflammation and tissue damage in diabetics.
The spices that seemed most likely to help diabetics included cloves, cinnamon (previously pegged as a possible blood-sugar reducer), allspice, apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice, Hargrove said. Top herbs included marjoram, sage and thyme.
Other spices and herbs were "still rich compared to other foods" when it comes to the effect, he said.
Lona Sandon, national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, said that while research does suggest that spices are high in antioxidants and may reduce blood-sugar levels, it's difficult to make recommendations about how much to use.
Even so, "I say add as much herbs and spices as your taste buds and tummy can take," she said. "They add flavor and fun to foods without adding calories or fat. Their potential for promoting health outweighs any risks, unless, of course, you have an allergy to a particular spice."
More information
Learn about the history of spices from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Researchers bought 24 herbs and spices and found that many appear to have the power to inhibit tissue damage and inflammation brought on by high blood-sugar levels in the body.
The study didn't examine the direct effects of spices on diabetics. Also, spices are typically used in small amounts, making it unclear if those who eat them would get much benefit.
Still, "this gives people a tool to work with in terms of keeping their health as they want it to be," said study co-author James Hargrove, an associate professor at the University of Georgia.
Hargrove and his colleagues were intrigued by spices because they're rich in antioxidants, which are thought to protect cells from damage. "One can put a lot of antioxidant power into meals by using spices" without making people fatter, he said. "Because of the way they're prepared, herbs and spices tend to have low calorie contents."
In addition, spices are cheaper than many other food products, he said.
The researchers decided to look into the anti-inflammatory properties of spices. "We said, 'Let's just go to Wal-Mart, get all the McCormick brand spices we can find, and check those. That was as complicated as our study design was."
The findings appear in a recent issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food.
In laboratory tests, the researchers found that many of the spices and extracts appeared to inhibit a process known as glycation, which has been linked to inflammation and tissue damage in diabetics.
The spices that seemed most likely to help diabetics included cloves, cinnamon (previously pegged as a possible blood-sugar reducer), allspice, apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice, Hargrove said. Top herbs included marjoram, sage and thyme.
Other spices and herbs were "still rich compared to other foods" when it comes to the effect, he said.
Lona Sandon, national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, said that while research does suggest that spices are high in antioxidants and may reduce blood-sugar levels, it's difficult to make recommendations about how much to use.
Even so, "I say add as much herbs and spices as your taste buds and tummy can take," she said. "They add flavor and fun to foods without adding calories or fat. Their potential for promoting health outweighs any risks, unless, of course, you have an allergy to a particular spice."
More information
Learn about the history of spices from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)