Ginseng Extract May Keep Diabetes In Check
Although
ginseng root has shown some promise for treating diabetes, a new study
of mice released Friday suggests the berry of the herb may be far more
effective for controlling elevated blood sugar levels.
And the berry
also may even induce weight loss.
"The berry
is very effective for treating diabetes, and it potentially could be used
to develop a new class of anti-diabetic drugs," Chun-Su Yuan, assistant
professor of anesthesia and critical care at the University of Chicago
and director of the study, told United Press International.
The berry appears
to be more effective than the root because it contains five to seven times
the concentration of a compound called ginsenoside Re, Yuan said in describing
his findings which appear in the June issue of the journal Diabetes.
The root has
some effects on controlling blood sugar but the berry extract "is much
more effective," Yuan said. In addition, "the berry extract can reduce
body weight very significantly. It reduces food intake, "but more importantly
it can increase energy expenditure, so the animal actually ... is more
active."
This would
make it "potentially appealing" to people "because humans love to eat"
and it would "reduce appetite and increase energy level," Yuan said.
The compound
has not been tested in humans, however, and it is unclear whether findings
in mice would hold true in people, said Vladimir Vuksan, a nutritionist
at the University of Toronto, who has conducted several studies in people
examining the effects of ginseng extracts on treating diabetes.
"I would take
this with reservation because it's an animal model," Vuksan told UPI. "Ginseng
has shown all kinds of effects in animals," but these "are not really panning
out in humans.
"Most of the
studies were done by (herbal) industry researchers ... when it's done independently
... they were less lucky," Vuksan said.
In the study,
Yuan's team injected the berry into mice with a genetic defect that causes
weight gain and the development of Type 2 diabetes. This disease is caused
by reduced sensitivity to insulin, which can lead to dangerously high levels
of sugar circulating in the blood.
The berry extract
decreased blood sugar levels in the mice from a very high level to a normal
level and insulin sensitivity also improved, Yuan said.
The mice also
lost 10 percent of their weight in 12 days compared with untreated mice
that gained weight.
Vuksan finds
this disconcerting.
"If they have
seen weight loss, then they have a major problem ... because once you lose
weight, then sugar levels automatically improve," he said. This makes it
difficult to determine whether the improved insulin and blood sugar levels
were due to the ginseng berry extract or simply a result of the weight
loss.
Yuan noted
the university has applied for a patent on ginsenoside Re and that they
"have been talking with some of the pharmaceutical companies" that are
interested in developing the compound as an anti-diabetic drug.
In the future,
his group plans to do some small clinical studies (in humans) to show safety
and efficacy of the berry extract.
--
Copyright 2002 by United
Press International.
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