 Eating pumpkins helps diabetics
Pumpkin can help repair damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin levels in the blood, Lisa Richards writes in Chemistry & Industry |
 |
| Asian Pumpkin (Botanypictures.com) |
Recent studies show that pumpkin can help repair damaged pancreatic cells in diabetic rats, boosting levels of insulin-producing beta cells and insulin levels in the blood. Diabetics and those prone to diabetes should, therefore, consider adding pumpkin or a pumpkin product to their daily diet, the researchers said.
‘Pumpkin extract is potentially a very good product for pre-diabetic persons, as well as those who have already developed diabetes,’ said lead author Tao Xia, of the East China Normal University. He added that although insulin injections will probably always be necessary for these patients, pumpkin extract could drastically reduce the amount of insulin they need to take.
A total of 12 diabetic rats and 12 normal rats were divided into two groups of six each and fed a normal diet or a diet supplemented with pumpkin extract for 30 days. A 36% increase in plasma insulin was observed in diabetic rats fed pumpkin compared to the untreated rats; this is only 5% lower than the control group. The percentage of insulin- positive cells (beta-cells) in pumpkin-fed diabetic rats fed was just 8% lower than in normal rats (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2007, 87, 1753).
The diabetes-induced 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. Xia said
that the protective effect of the
pumpkin may be due to the presence
of D-chiro-inositol, a molecule
that mediates insulin activity. ‘We
believe that the pumpkin fruit extracts
should have a hypoglycaemic
role in both Type I and II diabetes
by improving insulin sensitivity
and increasing plasma insulin
levels,’ he said.
Because pumpkin has a hypoglycaemic
effect, it may also reduce
oxidative damage by free radicals
to beta cells. Hyperglycaemia generates
reactive oxygen species that
damage the lipids in beta-cell
membranes. The fact that pumpkin
is hypoglycaemic ‘may
partly lead to a cytoprotective
effect on the
beta-cells, preventing
further degeneration
and allowing
for some
regeneration,’
said Xia.
He added,
however, that
the absolute
value of beta cells
in the diabetic rats
will never reach that
of controls, because
some of the cells will havebeen damaged beyond repair.
David Bender, sub-dean at the
Royal Free and University College
Medical School, London, said ‘this research is very exciting… the main finding is that feeding pumpkin extract prevents the progressive destruction of pancreatic betacells.’ But, he added that while the paper is exciting, pumpkin should not be promoted as a prevention or treatment for diabetes until largescale human trials are completed and it is impossible to say whether pumpkin extract would promote regeneration in humans. ‘I think the exciting thing is that this may
be a source of medicine to take by
mouth (rather than injections),’ Bender said.
Diabetes affects more than
230m people, almost 6% of the
world’s adult population, according
to the World Diabetes
Foundation. Around 5% of the NHS
budget is currently spent on treating
diabetes and its complications,
Diabetes UK told C&I. This is equivalent
to £3.5bn a year and these
costs are expected to increase by
more than 25% in the next 20-30
years.
Types of diabetes
Diabetes (or diabetes mellitus) is a disorder in which the body has trouble regulating blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. There are two major types: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 also called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, occurs when the body’s immune system attacks and destroys beta cells in the pancreas. Beta cells produce insulin, a hormone that metabolises sugar. Without beta cells no insulin can be produced. Without insulin, sugar remains in the blood where it can cause serious damage to all the organs in the body, People with type I diabetes must take insulin injections.
Diabetes type II, or late onset diabetes, is the most common form. In type II, the beta cells do produce insulin, but the body is unable to use it effectively because the cells of the body are resistant to the action of insulin. People with type II diabetes can have very high glucose levels, but most do not require insulin injections. In about 80% of cases, the condition can be managed with diet and exercise. |
back to top
|
