Treat Diabetes With Grapefruit
In folk medicines, grapefruit is often recommended for treating diabetes. Following the advice of folk healers, diabetics who ate grapefruits have reported significant reduction in their blood glucose levels.
In recent studies, scientists have found enough evidence to support the blood sugar lowering property of grapefruit.
How grapefruit treats diabetes
Grapefruit increases insulin sensitivity
Grapefruit owes its bitter taste to a compound known as naringenin. Naringenin is an antioxidant substance, which scientists have found could increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas.
It enables the cells of the body to absorb glucose from the bloodstream. If the pancreas fails to produce adequate insulin or if the cells of the body become less sensitive to insulin, diabetes develops.
Overweight or obese people have a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The hormones secreted by the fat cells increase insulin resistance. Researchers have found that naringenin not only increases sensitivity to insulin it also facilitates weight loss by stimulating the liver to burn more fats.
Grapefruit treats diabetes by promoting weight loss
Grapefruit is a popular fruit in several weight loss diets. After a meal, the sugar level rises in the blood. The elevation in blood sugar level prompts the liver to increase production of lipids or fats, which are stored in the body for a long time.
A large fat reserve impairs the normal function of the insulin. Studies have shown that grapefruit could augment weight loss by forcing the liver to burn excess fat instead of storing the fatty acids in the body.
The grapefruit compound naringenin helps to reprogram the liver. The liver believes that the body is fasting. At the fasting stage, the body breaks fats instead of carbohydrates for releasing energy.
Grapefruit mimics diabetic drugs
Researchers from Hebrew University of Jerusalem have found that the effect of naringenin in grapefruits is comparable to standard lipid lowering drugs that are used for treating type 2 diabetes.
Diabetics should consider including grapefruits and grapefruit juices in their regular diet to bring down their blood sugar level. Dietary supplements containing grapefruit extract or naringenin supplements might be beneficial for people suffering from diabetes.
