Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
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Diabetes is the outcome of a shortfall in insulin production or reduced sensitivity to the hormone. The main role of insulin is to take up blood sugar circulating in the blood, so a lack of it can prompt blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Tackling the root cause of the issue boils down mainly to dietary improvements. One food has been hailed for its glucose-lowering effects, reducing blood sugar levels in just 30 minutes.
Blood sugar levels, also known as blood sugar levels, are the measurement of how much glucose individuals have in their blood.
Levels are higher in diabetics because sugar cannot be taken up by insulin in the body.
Medication and diet are the mainstays of diabetic treatment.
Foods that score highly on the glycemic index can prompt a spike in blood sugar levels and are warned against.
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But other foods may have the opposite effect, causing rapid reductions in glucose.
To date, evidence suggests okra may have potent glucose-lowering effects.
“[The] tender pods are very low in calories, providing just 30 calories per 1— grams, and contain no saturated fats or cholesterol,” explains Diabetes UK.
Some research has reported decreases in blood sugar levels after soaking cut-up okra pieces in water overnight then drinking the juice the next morning.
One Indonesian study, published in the journal Rasayan in 2019, sought to bear out these claims by administering the drink to animals before checking their blood glucose profile.
To compare and contrast results, researchers gave some of the animals an anti-diabetic standard drug known as glibenclamide.
“The glibenclamide group did not show significant differences compared to negative controls at 30 minutes, which means that glibenclamide as an anti-diabetic standard drug could reduce blood glucose level back to normal within 20 minutes onset,” wrote the authors of the paper.
“Okra fruit juice at a dose of 25mg/Kg BW and 50 mg/kg BW had been able to reduce blood glucose level at 30 minutes indicated by a significant difference to […] control group.
“[…] Its activity as proportional to glibenclamide indicated by no difference statistically compared to the glibenclamide.
They concluded: “Based on the profile of blood glucose levels in the oral glucose tolerance test, okra fruit juice had the activity to reduce blood glucose levels at doses 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg BW in normal animals, so it was concluded that it had anti-diabetic potential.”
Separate studies conducted in India have supported these findings, noting a gradual fall in blood glucose after okra intake.
Published in the Journal of Pharmacy & BioAllied Science, researchers found that mice who were fed dried and ground okra peels experienced a gradual reduction in blood glucose following a regular intake of okra for about 10 days.
Alongside lowering blood glucose, okra may also be able to reduce cholesterol by binding to molecules in the gut.
Separate research shows it can reduce the risk of cancer, notably colorectal cancer, due to its high concentrations of vitamin A and vitamin C.
Because the fruit is a good source of fibre, it is optimal for digestion too.
But because okra is packed with fermentable carbohydrates, in some instances it can cause bloating.
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