Grape Nutrients Found to Slow Progression of Type 1 Diabetes

Wednesday, September 10, 2008 by: David Gutierrez, staff writer
Tags: type 1 diabetes, health news, Natural News

(NaturalNews) Compounds found in grapes might help slow the progression of Type 1 diabetes, according to a study conducted by researchers from the Agricultural Research Service and published in the journal Agriculture Research.

Type 1 diabetes, sometimes also known as juvenile-onset diabetes, occurs due to damage to the pancreas' ability to produce insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar. It is estimated to affect one out of every 400 to 600 children and adolescents in the United States.

In contrast, Type 2 diabetes is caused by a reduction in the body's sensitivity to insulin, not an inability to produce sufficient quantities.

Researchers fed two groups of mice with Type 1 diabetes a similar diet, but added freeze-dried grape powder to the food of one group. The grape powder made up approximately 1 percent of the mice's diet.

The progression of Type 1 diabetes stopped among mice in the grape powder group, and mice in that group also lived longer than mice in the control group.

According to the researchers, the amount of freeze-dried grape powder given to the mice would be equivalent to six human servings of the same powder. Eating large quantities of grapes would be unlikely to provide any benefit for diabetics, due to their high sugar content.

The researchers have not determined what compound or mixture of compounds in the grape powder produced the health effect in the mice, or its mechanism of action. They speculate that the grape powder may prevent immune cells from entering the pancreas, where they are known to attack the beta cells that produce the body's insulin.

Mice in the grape powder group had fewer immune cells in their pancreases than mice in the control group.

More research would be needed before the compound responsible for the effect could be isolated and used for health treatments. In the mean time, though, consumers can simply eat more grapes!