Scientists have found out how stevia helps in the treatment of diabetes

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Scientists have found out how stevia helps in the treatment of diabetes
Scientists have found out how stevia helps in the treatment of diabetes
Anonim

How proven is the medicinal effect of the stevia plant, so popular and advertised in recent years?

Pavlina Dimitrova - Plovdiv

Indeed, more and more people are looking for an alternative to sugar. Until now, scientists did not know how the herb stevia helps fight high blood sugar. And so researchers from Great Britain and Belgium report that stevia activates the so-called protein TRPM5, altering human taste perception. Moreover, it is this protein that takes part in the release of insulin after eating. Co-author of the study Konrad Philippaert from the Catholic University of Leuven assures that the latest discovery is indeed a path to the development of new preparations for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Details of stevia's role in the treatment of diabetes have been published in a popular medical journal.

Stevia is a unique hypoglycemic agent that affects various links in the mechanism of diabetes mellitus. It is a natural sugar substitute obtained from the leaves of the South American plant Stevia Rebaudiana. It is a hundred times sweeter than sucrose, so it is often used in the production of diet drinks, yogurts and desserts. Doctors have long recommended stevia instead of regular sugar to people suffering from type 2 diabetes. It is supposed to lower the level of glucose in the blood because it reduces the amount of sugar in the menu, but scientists have also demonstrated the hypoglycemic effect of this miracle plant.

In experiments, Dr. Philippaert and his colleagues were able to prove that the protein TRPM5 stimulates the production of insulin by the beta cells of our pancreas. It also plays an important role in the regulation of sweet and bitter taste perception, as well as the fifth taste "umami". All this makes stevia a unique hypoglycemic agent, which affects various links in the mechanism of diabetes mellitus - from the abuse of sugar to the disruption of endogenous insulin production. This plant is an excellent preventive measure against diabetes mellitus.

“Our experiments prove that stevia can be taken for the prevention and complex treatment of type 2 diabetes. This is due to the stimulation of the TRPM5 protein by the plant's active substances, reports study co-author Rudi Wenkens, professor of molecular and cellular medicine at the University of Leuven. It becomes clear that the protein in question is a new perspective in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, but for now the scientists advise to treat the obtained results more cautiously. It will be years before stevia becomes a real tool in the fight against impaired carbohydrate metabolism.

“This is fundamental research and we have a long way to go to defeat diabetes. We would like to point out that the doses of stevioside we gave to the laboratory animals were much higher than those consumed by humans with the drinks, the authors warn.

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