Type 2 diabetes, characterised by inconsistent blood sugar levels, poses serious risks to one’s health. Nonetheless, certain dietary options can play a role in blood sugar control.
A remarkable piece of research has uncovered that a widely consumed vegetable might cut high blood sugar levels by a staggering 50 percent. The condition arises when the pancreas fails to produce sufficient insulin or when the body doesn’t use the produced insulin effectively.
The NHS reports that early signs of type 2 diabetes can include extreme tiredness, feeling thirsty all the time or losing weight without trying to.
Other symptoms can include:
- blurred vision
- cuts or wounds taking longer to heal
- itching around your genitals, or you keep getting thrush
These symptoms are the same for both adults and children.
Insulin plays an essential role in managing blood sugar – crucial for our bloodstream’s glucose level regulation. Without proper control, blood sugar can rise to dangerous levels.
There may be good news, however, as an accessible intervention could offer help. At The Endocrine Society’s 97th annual meeting in San Diego, scientists have disclosed that onion bulb extract, specifically from Allium cepa, drastically brought down elevated blood glucose in diabetic rats when given with the anti-diabetic drug metformin.
“Onion is cheap and readily available and has been utilised as a nutritional supplement,” said lead researcher Anthony Ojieh, from Delta State University in Abraka, Nigeria. “It holds potential for use in treating patients with diabetes.”, reports Surrey Live.
To test whether it boosted the medication’s effectiveness, Dr. Ojieh’s team gave metformin along with various doses of onion extract – 200mg, 400mg, and 600mg per kilograms of body weight daily – to separate groups of medically induced diabetic rats.
The study involved administering metformin and onion extract to three groups of non-diabetic rats with normal blood sugar levels for comparison. Two control groups, one non-diabetic and one diabetic, were given neither metformin nor onion extract.
Another two groups, one with diabetes and one without, received only metformin and no onion extract. Each group consisted of five rats.
Onion extract, in doses of 400mg and 600mg, significantly reduced fasting blood sugar levels in diabetic rats by 50 percent and 35 percent respectively, compared to the baseline levels at the start of the study before the rodents received onion extract, Mr Ojieh reported.
However, onion extract led to an increase in average weight among non-diabetic rats but not diabetic rats. “Onion is not high in calories,” Mr Ojieh said.
“However, it seems to increase the metabolic rate and, with that, to increase the appetite, leading to an increase in feeding.”
Mr Ojieh added: “We need to investigate the mechanism by which onion brought about the blood glucose reduction. We do not yet have an explanation.”
The onion extract used for the experiment was prepared from an onion bulb, which is available in the local supermarket.
If this were to be administered to humans, it would usually be purified so that only the active ingredients would be quantified for adequate dosing, Mr Ojieh added.
The NHS has advised: “A healthy diet and keeping active will help you manage your blood sugar level. It’ll also help you control your weight and generally feel better.”
To help regulate blood sugar levels, the NHS recommends incorporating a variety of healthy foods into your diet, including vegetables like onions.
“Keep sugar, fat and salt to a minimum,” the NHS further suggested. As always, for any health concerns, it’s best to consult with your local GP.