How Much Do You Know About DIABETES?

Prepared by Nutritionist Chen Yin

How Much Do You Know About DIABETES?
Consumption of sweet food or beverages has no direct connection with diabetes. In fact, failure of production of sufficient insulin, the hormone which is responsible for reducing blood glucose levels in our body, is the culprit of diabetes. However, a high sugar and fat diet will increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes which cause by reduced sensitivity to insulin.¹ Uncontrolled diabetes can cause damage to your nerves and blood vessels which result in brain, kidney, eye, foot, heart diseases and stroke.²

In term of medical treatment, insulin injection or oral medications is the common option to help lower blood glucose and prevent diabetic complications. However, some prefer to opt for a more natural approaches via diet control, lifestyle modifications and supplements, especially during the early stages.² Here are some ingredients you might wish to take note of when looking out for supplements for diabetes.
 

Chromium
Chromium is an essential trace mineral which helps to reduce insulin resistance and improve glucose metabolism. It is also known to have anti-inflammatory and anti-hypoglycemic properties.³ It is required for the enzyme known as glucose tolerant factor (GTF) for optimization of insulin function and glucose control. GTF binds to insulin and improves efficacy of insulin, thereby helping to lower blood glucose level.⁴
 

Fenugreek
Fenugreek is a unique herb that is commonly used in alternative medicine and it is known to have benefits for reducing blood glucose levels. These benefits may be due to fenugreek’s role in improving efficacy of insulin.^5,6 Studies showed that fenugreek has positive impact for both type 1 and 2 diabetes.⁷ Another study demonstrated that healthy people experienced reduction in blood glucose level few hours after intake of fenugreek.⁸
 

Bitter melon

Bitter melon is a popular vegetable that is traditionally known for its anti-diabetic properties via increasing insulin secretion of the pancreas, decreasing intestinal glucose uptake, and increasing uptake and utilization of glucose in peripheral tissues.⁹ Studies indicated bitter melon decreased fructosamine and hemoglobin A1c, markers of long-term blood glucose control.^10,11

Reference

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048953/
2. https://sg.iherb.com/blog/these-herbs-spices-and-nuts-could-help-with-diabetes-management/606
3. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2018 Jan;62(1). doi: 10.1002/mnfr.201700438. Epub 2017 Aug 15.
4. L. Liu, W. M. Cui, S. W. Zhang, F. H. Kong, M. A. Pedersen, Y. Wen and J. P. Lv. Effect of glucose tolerance factor (GTF) from high chromium yeast on glucose metabolism in insulin-resistant 3T3-L1 adipocytes. RSC Adv., 2015,5, 3482-3490.
5. Nithya Neelakantan, Madanagopal Narayanan, Russell J de Souza, and Rob M van Dam. Effect of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) intake on glycemia: a meta-analysis of clinical trials. Nutr J. 2014; 13: 7.
6. Z Madar , R Abel, S Samish, J Arad. Glucose-lowering effect of fenugreek in non-insulin dependent diabetics. Eur J Clin Nutr. 1988 Jan;42(1):51-4.
7. Anita Kochhar , Malkit Nagi. Effect of supplementation of traditional medicinal plants on blood glucose in non-insulin-dependent diabetics: a pilot study. J Med Food. Winter 2005;8(4):545-9.
8. J A Abdel-Barry, I A Abdel-Hassan, A M Jawad, M H al-Hakiem. Hypoglycaemic effect of aqueous extract of the leaves of Trigonella foenum-graecum in healthy volunteers. East Mediterr Health J. 2000 Jan;6(1):83-8.
9. Sandra D. Habicht, Christine Ludwig, Ray-yu Yang, Michael B. Krawinkel. Momordica charantia and Type 2 Diabetes: From in vitro to Human Studies. Current Diabetes Reviews 2014; 10(1):48-60.
10. Marisol Cortez-Navarrete, Esperanza Martínez-Abundis, Karina G. Pérez-Rubio, Manuel González-Ortiz, and Miriam Méndez-del Villar. Momordica charantia Administration Improves Insulin Secretion in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Medicinal Food 2018; 21(7): 672-677.
11. Anjana F, Paveena S, Tippawadee S, Rapeepan C, Pontap C, Viruch S, Kornkanok I, Pinyupa P, and Stuart T.H. Hypoglycemic effect of bitter melon compared with metformin in newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 2011; 134 (2): 422-428.