Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
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Diabetes is a life-long condition characterised by consistently high blood sugar levels. This dysfunction in blood sugar control occurs when the body stops producing insulin or becomes desensitised to it. Millions are afflicted by the condition in the UK, but caseloads continue to grow year on year. One plant may be useful in diabetes treatment and prevention, by helping blood sugar levels in 30 minutes.
Foods that are encouraged for blood sugar control all share the common trait of having a low glycemic index (GI).
One example is cucumber, which has a GI of 15, and has been linked to improved blood sugar levels in animal and laboratory studies.
WebMD states: “Cucumbers are low in carbohydrates, so they can be a good option for people with elevated blood sugar levels.
“Early trials suggest that cucumber is one of the most effective plants for not only reducing blood sugar levels but also lowering the risk of hypoglycaemia during a blood sugar drop.
READ MORE: Diabetes: The anti-diabetic supplement that lowers blood sugar levels by 30% in two weeks
“For people with diabetes, cucumber may be a helpful addition to their diet to moderate blood sugar levels more effectively.”
The lowering effects of cucumber on blood sugar were illustrated in one study conducted by the University of California.
The findings, published in the medical journal Science, appeared to suggest that a key compound in cucumber, called cucurbitacin, has a number of beneficial health effects, which may serve in the treatment of cancer and diabetes.
The study also showed that the extract could have a positive on blood sugar levels.
The effects of the compound, which makes the plant bitter, were studied on mice induced with cancer cells.
Results showed that the rodents were 60 percent less likely to develop cancer after consuming high levels of the bitter juice, and saw significant reductions in blood sugar levels.
The health website Diabetes commented: “Although the compound was tested primarily on mice, the reduction of blood glucose was considerable.
“Previous studies have demonstrated that lowered blood sugar levels can be observed as as little as 30 minutes, with the greatest reductions occurring after four hours.”
The findings are consistent with research published in the Journal of Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, which found that an extract derived from cucumber peel reversed most diabetes-associated changes in mice.
But separate research published in the Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Science only observed reductions in blood sugar levels after nine days of therapy.
The researchers of the study wrote: “Our findings indicated that [cucumber] seeds extracts were not effective on reducing blood glucose levels in normal and diabetic rats for the initial phase of treatment.
“However, both […] extracts were effective on diminishing blood glucose levels and controlling the loss of body weight in diabetic rats compared to controls after nine days of continued therapy.”
Unfortunately, studies to date have all been conducted on rodents, which warrants further investigation to elucidate the effects of cucumber on humans.
But the compounds investigated in all aforementioned experiments have been shown to help the body process and remove free radicals.
This process is believed to be critical in the prevention of certain conditions like cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
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