07/01/2020 / By Evangelyn Rodriguez
Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic disorders marked by chronically high blood sugar levels. High blood sugar is a condition that happens when the body is unable to produce enough insulin to meet its needs. Approximately four percent of people around the world suffer from diabetes.
The management of diabetes symptoms is important due the high risk of complications associated with long-term diabetes. Complications include disabling or life-threatening conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, permanent nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage and even Alzheimer’s disease.
Modern treatments for diabetes often include oral or injectable blood sugar-lowering (hypoglycemic) medications. However, due to their toxicity and side effects, researchers have recently turned to natural products and traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) in search of new and safer alternative treatments.
In a recent study, Chinese researchers reviewed studies on TCM herbs, particularly their active components that exhibit anti-diabetic properties. They reported 13 flavonoids from TCM that can help reduce symptoms of diabetes.
The researchers discussed their findings in an article published in The American Journal of Chinese Medicine.
Flavonoids refer to a class of plant pigments that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors. With more than 6,000 types of flavonoids identified in plants, they are the largest and most widely distributed group of plant-derived nutrients. Studies have found that these compounds offer a wide variety of health benefits, not least of which is the ability to treat diabetes and diabetic complications.
For their study, the researchers searched different databases for studies on anti-diabetic flavonoids and identified 13 such compounds from TCM herbs. Here’s what studies say about these anti-diabetic plant nutrients. (Related: Mulberry: A tiny fruit with great anti-diabetes potential.)
Because of these findings, the researchers believe that the anti-diabetic effects of TCM-derived flavonoids should be further explored by future studies to confirm their potency in humans.
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alternative medicine, anti-diabetic, Chinese medicine, diabetes cure, diabetes science, disease treatment, flavonoids, herbal medicine, Herbs, natural cures, natural medicine, phytonutrients, research
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