07/27/2018 / By Ralph Flores
Cardamom – already hailed as the queen of spice – has a lot of things going for it. It’s widely known for its antioxidant and anti-cancer activity, but a proposed randomized control trial (RCT) could very well validate its anti-diabetic properties as well. The proposed clinical trial, which was published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, will look at the effects of green cardamom on blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, and oxidative stress status in people with Type 2 diabetes.
“To determine the mechanism of cardamom effect on blood glucose and lipid levels, blood irisin, and SIRT1 [Sirtuin1] will be assessed,” the researchers wrote in their study.
In particular, irisin is an enzyme in the body that has been known to improve insulin sensitivity, as well as glucose metabolism, one of the things impaired by Type 2 diabetes. Earlier studies of irisin have labeled it as the exercise hormone, as it was noted to activate during exercise in both mouse and human studies. At the time of its discovery, researchers considered irisin as a promising candidate for novel interventions for weight loss, diabetes, and obesity. On the other hand, SIRT1 is known to play an important role in glucose metabolism and decrease cases of insulin resistance.
For the RCT, the researchers will select 80 patients, all of whom are either overweight or obese and have Type 2 diabetes. Participants will be randomly assigned into two groups: One is to receive a placebo, while the other will be provided with a dosage of 3 grams of green cardamom supplement a day. The test, which will run for 30 will measure various physical and biological markers to determine whether supplementing with green cardamom can improve these markers in people who have the condition.
“The selection of patients with T2DM [Type 2 diabetes mellitus] is the main strength of the present study,” the researchers added. “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomized controlled trial that will determine the effect of cardamom on glycemic status, lipid profile, oxidative stress biomarkers, SIRT1 and irisin in T2DM.”
People with diabetes would do well to increase their cardamom intake: It does not only help regulate blood sugar, but it also manages other complications that come with the condition. In particular, here are some ways that cardamom can help those living with diabetes.
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