Posted on July 1, 2008 in Latest News
Certain compounds in pumpkin may potentially replace or at least drastically bring down the daily insulin injections that so many diabetics currently have to endure. Recent research reveals that pumpkin extract induce regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin in the blood, reports Lisa Richards in Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI.
The shielding effect of pumpkin is believed to be as a result of antioxidants and D-chiro-inositol, a molecule that regulates insulin activity. Enhancing the levels of insulin has the effect of reducing blood sugar levels, which reduces levels of oxidative oxygen species that damage beta-cell membranes, preventing further damage and allowing for some regeneration. Beta cells levels in the diabetic rats are, however, unlikely ever to reach that of controls, because some of the cells will have been damaged beyond repair.
Diabetes hits more than 230m people, almost 6% of the world’s adult population, according to the World Diabetes Foundation. The rats used in this study represent type I diabetes, but the researchers believe the pumpkin extract may also play a role in type II diabetes.
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