Ginger, a common spice in Indian kitchens can manage high levels of
blood sugar which create complications for long-term diabetic
patients, a new study said. Researchers from University of Sydney
foundthat ginger has the power to control blood glucose by using
muscle cells.
"Ginger extracts obtained from Buderim Ginger wereable t o increase
the uptake of glucose into muscle cells independentlyof insulin,"
professor of pharmaceutical chemistry Basil Roufogalis who led the
research said .
"This assists in the management of high levels of blood sugar that
create complications for longterm diabetic patients,and may allow
cells to operate independently of insulin," Roufogalis said.
"The components responsible for the increase the uptake of glucose
were gingerols, the major phenolic components of the ginger rhizome.
Under normal conditions, blood glucose level is strictly maintained
within a narrow range, and skeletal muscle is a major site of glucose
clearance in the body," Roufogalis added. The pharmacy researchers
extracted whole ginger rhizomes obtained from Buderim Ginger and
showed that that one fraction of the extract was the most effective in
reproducing the increase in glucose uptake by the whole extract in
muscle cells grown in culture/
