Dear All
Ginger may help increase insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2
diabetes, according to the findings of a recent study conducted by
researchers from the
Tabriz University of Medical Sciences in Iran and published in the
International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.
Type
2 diabetes occurs when the body fails to respond appropriately to the
blood sugar-regulating hormone insulin. In contrast, type 1 diabetes is
characterized by the body's failing to produce sufficient insulin to
regulate blood sugar.
In the randomized, double-blind,
placebo-controlled trial, 64 people with type 2 diabetes were randomly
assigned to take either a placebo or 2 g of ginger each day for two
months. The researchers found that at the end of the study, patients who
had received ginger had significantly higher insulin sensitivity and
significantly lower levels of insulin, LDL ("bad") cholesterol and
triglycerides. The findings suggest that ginger might be helpful to
reduce "secondary complications" of type 2 diabetes, the researchers
concluded.
Ginger increases cells' sugar uptake
The findings follow another recent study, published by researchers from the
University of Sydney in 2012, which found that ginger extract helps increase cells' absorption of glucose even independent of insulin.
"This
assists in the management of high levels of blood sugar that create
complications for long-term diabetic patients, and may allow cells to
operate independently of insulin," lead author Basil Roufogalis said.
The researchers found that the chemicals responsible for this property of
ginger
are the phenols known as gingerols. Specifically, gingerols increased
the distribution of a protein known as GLUT4, which stimulates the
skeletal muscles to uptake more glucose. Insufficiency of GLUT4 is a
major cause of
insulin insensitivity and high blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics.
"Under
normal conditions, blood glucose level is strictly maintained within a
narrow range, and skeletal muscle is a major site of glucose clearance
in the body," Roufogalis said.
Other benefits for diabetics
According to a study published in the
International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition in 2011, ginger extracts can provide other important benefits to people with
diabetes.
The researchers found that ginger appears to inhibit the action of the
enzymes a-glucosidase and a-amylase, which can contribute to diabetes,
and also the inflammatory enzyme cyclooxygenase.
Inflammation has been linked to a number of chronic health conditions, including diabetes.
Furthermore, a 2009 study in the
European Journal of Pharmacology
found that ginger extracts reduce blood levels of insulin by
approximately 10 percent, and levels of blood sugar by approximately 35
percent. This effect was caused by ginger's interaction with
insulin-inhibiting serotonin receptors. Finally, a 2009 study in
Basic Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology
showed that ginger helped protect the body against developing metabolic
syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for diabetes, cardiovascular
disease and cancer.
Ginger is one of the most widely consumed
spices and herbal medicines in the world. It is most commonly used to
treat digestive upsets such as indigestion and heartburn, but is also
known to be a potent anti-inflammatory.
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