A compound found in grapes and wine can regulate blood glucose in people with Type 2 diabetes

A natural substance commonly found in grapes and wine appears to help regulate blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes. This compound – known as resveratrol – can help lower blood sugar and blood pressure in individuals with Type 2 diabetes, according to a study published in the journal Nutrition Research.

Chronic low-grade inflammation is a primary contributor to Type 2 diabetes, and resveratrol has been shown to help fight inflammation in laboratory and animal studies. To investigate the anti-inflammatory effects of resveratrol in individuals with Type 2 diabetes, researchers at Tehran University of Medical Sciences in Iran conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

For the current study, the Iranian researchers hypothesized that supplementation with resveratrol might improve inflammatory markers in people with Type 2 diabetes. To test their hypothesis, they recruited 45 individuals with Type 2 diabetes and supplemented them with either 800 milligrams (mg) per day of resveratrol or placebo capsules for eight weeks. They also measured diabetes inflammatory markers at the beginning and the end of the study.

Surprisingly, the researchers did not find any changes in diabetes inflammatory markers in both the resveratrol and placebo groups. However, they found that supplementation with resveratrol led to significant reductions in the levels of fasting blood sugar and blood pressure. These results suggest that resveratrol may not improve inflammatory markers in people with Type 2 diabetes, but may reduce their fasting blood sugar level and blood pressure.

From these findings, the researchers conclude that people with Type 2 diabetes taking resveratrol supplements for eight weeks can experience lower levels of blood sugar and blood pressure.

Resveratrol also found to help enhance cardiovascular health in people with diabetes

Resveratrol may also be beneficial to diabetic patients by supporting heart health. A study shows that resveratrol, which also has antioxidant properties, may help enhance cardiovascular health among diabetics.

For the study, researchers at Boston University looked at the effect of resveratrol on artery stiffness in individuals with diabetes in a clinical trial. People with this disease exhibit signs of premature aging of the arteries, in which arteries become supple. This, in turn, may lead to adverse cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

Previous animal studies have reported that resveratrol can reduce the stiffness of the aorta, which is the main artery in the human body that carries the blood away from the heart and into the rest of the body. These studies found that resveratrol activates SIRT1, which is a gene that can slow down aging.

In conducting the study, researchers used a carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (CFPWV) test to measure aortic stiffness in 57 individuals with Type 2 diabetes, who were 56 years old and considered obese, on average.

Initially, they gave some participants 100 mg of resveratrol daily for two weeks. Then, they increased the dosage to 300 mg given daily for two more weeks. They also gave other participants a placebo treatment for four weeks, with a washout period of two weeks between treatments.

Those who experienced high arterial stiffness at the beginning of the study and received 300 mg of resveratrol each day experienced a nine percent decrease in aortic stiffness, while the 100-mg resveratrol group experienced reduced aortic stiffness by 4.8 percent. On the contrary, those who received the placebo experienced increased aortic stiffness. (Related: Resveratrol is good for your brain; it improves blood vessel health.)

The findings of the study were presented at the American Heart Association’s Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology and Peripheral Vascular Disease 2017 Scientific Sessions in Minnesota.

Read more news stories and studies on natural diabetes treatments by reading DiabetesCure.news.

Sources include:

Science.news

Healthline.com