ASPARAGUS, GARLIC HELP FIGHT FLAB AND DIABETES

THE TIMES OF INDIA, NEW DELHI
TUESDAY, AUGUST 24, 2010-08-24

GREEN THERAPY: A diet rich in fermentable carbohydrates like garlic, asparagus and artichokes suppresses hunger and improves the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels.

London: Want to shed flab and control blood sugar level as well? Make sure your daily diet contains food like asparagus, artichokes and garlic, for a study says that eating them can help fight obesity and diabetes.

Researchers have found that a diet rich in fermentable carbohydrates like garlic, asparagus and artichokes suppresses hunger and improve the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels, the Daily Telegraph reported.

This is because these foods activate the release of gut hormones that reduce appetite. They enhance sensitivity to insulin – the hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter the body’s cells – thereby leading to better glucose control, according to the researchers.

Nicola Guess, a dietician at Imperial College, London, who is leading the study, said:
“By investigating how appetite and blood glucose levels are regulated in people at high risk of Type2 diabetes, it is hoped that we can find a way to prevent its onset.

“If successful, this study will be able to determine whether fermentable carbohydrates could provide the public with an effective and affordable health intervention to reduce an individual’s risk of developing diabetes.”

The charity Diabetes UK is now funding research into the health benefits of such foods. If proved to be effective, the findings could revolutionise treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Iain Frame, the charity’s director of research, said: “It is unlikely that any single measure used on its own will bring about improved prevention of type 2 Diabetes. But it’s hoped that research being funded at Imperial College will help by aiming to develop an easy and affordable way to help people to reduce their risk of developing type 2 Diabetes and managing their blood glucose levels.”

An earlier research by the University of Leicester has found that eating green leafy vegetables could cut the risk of type2 diabetes. Broccoli, kale, spinach, sprouts and cabbage can reduce the risk by 14% when eaten daily, according to the study published in the British Medical Journal.