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Posted on Dec 22, 2004, 1 p.m.
By Bill Freeman
The new Michigan study shows that a group of naturally occurring chemicals abundant in cherries that could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabeties. Laboratory studies using animal pancreatic cells indicate that the chemicals, called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent.
The new Michigan study shows that a group of naturally occurring chemicals abundant in cherries that could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabeties.
Laboratory studies using animal pancreatic cells indicate that the chemicals, called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent. Anthocyanins are a class of plant pigments responsible for the color of many fruits, including cherries. They also are potent antioxidants, highly active chemicals that have been increasingly associated with a variety of health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer, reports Hindustan Times.
The mechanism of action by which these anthocyanins boost insulin production is not known, Nair said, but the team is currently feeding anthocyanins to a group of obese, diabetic mice to determine how the chemicals influence insulin levels in live subjects.
Scientists in Nair's laboratory have also developed a patented process for removing sugar from fruit extracts that contain anthocyanins. This could lead to sugar-free products for people with diabetes, according New Kerala.
The study is scheduled to appear in the 5 January issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Laboratory studies using animal pancreatic cells indicate that the chemicals, called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent. Anthocyanins are a class of plant pigments responsible for the color of many fruits, including cherries. They also are potent antioxidants, highly active chemicals that have been increasingly associated with a variety of health benefits, including protection against heart disease and cancer, reports Hindustan Times.
The mechanism of action by which these anthocyanins boost insulin production is not known, Nair said, but the team is currently feeding anthocyanins to a group of obese, diabetic mice to determine how the chemicals influence insulin levels in live subjects.
Scientists in Nair's laboratory have also developed a patented process for removing sugar from fruit extracts that contain anthocyanins. This could lead to sugar-free products for people with diabetes, according New Kerala.
The study is scheduled to appear in the 5 January issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
