diabetes Posted By: News-Medical in Medical Study News Published:
Tuesday, 8-Feb-2005 Printer Friendly Email to a Friend : : : : Herbs
used in traditional Indian medicine to treat diabetes seems to lower
blood sugar and insulin levels in a manner similar to prescription
drugs, a new study reports. Researchers gave extracts of the herb
Salacia oblonga to 39 healthy adults, and the results were
promising. The largest dose of the herb extract - 1,000 milligrams -
decreased insulin and blood glucose levels by 29 and 23 percent,
respectively. : : "These kinds of reductions are similar to what we
might see with prescription oral medications for people with
diabetes," said Steve Hertzler, a study co-author and an assistant
professor of nutrition at Ohio State University. : : Salacia
oblonga, which is native to regions of India and Sri Lanka, binds to
intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates in the body. These
enzymes, called alpha-glucosidases, turn carbohydrates into glucose,
the sugar that circulates throughout the body. If the enzyme binds
to the herbal extract rather than to a carbohydrate, then less
glucose gets into the blood stream, resulting in lowered blood
glucose and insulin levels. : : "Lowering blood glucose levels
lowers the risk of disease-related complications in people with
diabetes," Hertzler said. "Also, poor compliance with diabetes
medications often hinders the effectiveness of these drugs. It may
be easier to get someone to take an herb with food or in a beverage,
as opposed to a pill." : : The study appears in a recent issue of
the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. : : Thirty-nine
healthy adults participated in four separate meal tolerance tests.
These meals, which were given in beverage form, were spaced three to
14 days apart. Each participant fasted for at least 10 hours before
consuming the test beverage. : : Participants were asked to drink
about two cups' worth of the chilled beverage, which contained zero,
500, 700 or 1,000 milligrams of Salacia oblonga extract. Afterward,
the researchers used the finger-prick method to draw blood samples
from each person every 15 to 30 minutes for three hours. These blood
samples were used to determine insulin and blood glucose
concentrations. The biggest changes in blood glucose and insulin
levels usually happen within the first two hours after eating. : :
The beverage that contained the highest concentration of the herbal
extract - 1,000 milligrams - provided the most dramatic reduction in
insulin and blood glucose levels. Insulin levels were 29 percent
lower, while blood glucose levels were 23 percent lower as compared
to the control drink, which contained no herbal extract. : : As
Salacia oblonga can cause intestinal gas, the researchers had the
study participants collect breath hydrogen samples hourly for eight
hours after drinking the test beverage. The participants collected
their breath in small plastic tubes. The researchers then analyzed
these breath samples for hydrogen and methane content - the level of
either substance in the breath corresponds to the level contained in
the colon. : : The subjects also rated the frequency and intensity
of nausea, abdominal cramping and distention and gas for two days
after consuming each test meal. : : While the test beverages
containing Salacia oblonga caused an increase in breath hydrogen
excretion, reports of gastrointestinal discomfort were minimal,
Hertzler said. : : Right now he and his colleagues are trying to
figure out what dose of the herb is most effective, and when it
should be taken relative to a meal. : : "We want to know how long it
takes for the herb to bind to the enzymes that break down
carbohydrates," Hertzler said. "The participants in this study took
the herb with their meal, but maybe taking it before eating would be
even more effective." : : The researchers also want to study the
effects of Salacia oblonga in people with diabetes. : : "A lot of
studies show that lowering blood sugar levels reduces the risk for
all kinds of diabetes-related complications, such as kidney disease
and nerve and eye damage," Hertzler said. "We want to see if this
herb has this kind of effect." : : Salacia oblonga is still
relatively difficult to find in the United States, Hertzler said,
although there are manufacturers that sell the herb through the
Internet. : : This study was supported by the Ross Products Division
of Abbott Laboratories in Columbus. : : Hertzler is continuing to
conduct Salacia oblonga studies with the Ross Products Division of
Abbott Laboratories. He has no links to the company beyond this
affiliation. : : Hertzler conducted the work with former Ohio State
colleague Patricia Heacock, who is now at Rutgers, the State
University of New Jersey; Jennifer Williams, a clinical scientist
with Ross Products Division, Abbott Laboratories; and Bryan Wolf, a
former research scientists with Ross Products Division
for further information
link to http://www.onlinereikiinfo.com
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