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Posted on Dec 07, 2003, 9 a.m.
By Bill Freeman
Results of a recent animal study suggest that buckwheat could help diabetics to keep their blood glucose levels under control. Dr Carla G Taylor, from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and colleagues gave rats a dose of buckwheat concentrate. Results showed that the animals blood glucose levels dropped by 12% to 19% after eating a meal.
Results of a recent animal study suggest that buckwheat could help diabetics to keep their blood glucose levels under control. Dr Carla G Taylor, from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and colleagues gave rats a dose of buckwheat concentrate. Results showed that the animals blood glucose levels dropped by 12% to 19% after eating a meal. The researchers suspect that a chemical called chiro-inositol is responsible for buckwheat's glucose-lowering effect. Taylor says that more research is needed to verify this and to determine whether buckwheat will have the same effect in humans. If buckwheat is found to lower blood glucose levels in humans, it could be of benefit to people suffering from type II diabetes.
SOURCE/REFERENCE: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2003;51:7287-7291.
