Chocolate, Tea, Berries May Cut
Diabetes Risk
Substances found in some people's favorite foods appear to benefit blood
sugar, inflammation levels
(HealthDay News) -- A diet that includes substances found in chocolate,
tea and berries could help protect people against diabetes and other diseases, new research shows.
The study included
nearly 2,000 healthy women in the United Kingdom who completed a food
questionnaire and were tested for blood sugar (glucose) regulation, inflammation and insulin resistance.
"Our research
looked at the benefits of eating certain sub-groups of flavanoids. We focused
on flavones, which are found in herbs and vegetables such as parsley, thyme and
celery, and anthocyanins, found in berries, red grapes, wine and other red or
blue-colored fruits and vegetables," study leader Aedin Cassidy, of
the University of East Anglia in England, said in a university news release.
The investigators
found that consuming high levels of flavones and anthocyanins was associated
with lower insulin resistance, better blood sugar regulation and lower levels
of inflammation. Chronic inflammation is associated with diabetes,obesity, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
The study was
published Jan. 19 in the Journal of Nutrition.
"This is one of
the first large-scale human studies to look at how these powerful bioactive
compounds might reduce the risk of diabetes," Cassidy said.
Earlier research that
took place in laboratories suggested that these types of foods might affect
blood sugar, which plays a role in type 2 diabetes risk, she noted. However, it
was unknown how regular consumption of these ingredients might affect a
person's blood glucose and inflammation levels and insulin resistance, Cassidy
said in the news release.
What remains unclear
is exactly what amounts of these compounds are needed to reduce the risk of
diabetes, the study authors added. Also unclear is how much of a health benefit
the compounds really carry -- the study found an association between
consumption and seemingly better health but not cause-and-effect.
According to study co-author Tim Spector, of King's
College London, "This is an exciting finding that shows that some
components of foods that we consider unhealthy like chocolate or wine may
contain some beneficial substances. If we can start to identify and separate
these substances we can potentially improve healthy eating," he said in the news
release. Free information. Do you want to read more on this topic. Just click this link and choose the
topic you want to ready.
No comments:
Post a Comment