An extract derived from pumpkin (Cucurbita
ficifolia) may improve blood glucose levels
in diabetics, and exert antioxidant effects, according
to a new study. If the research by scientists from
the East China Normal University can be reproduced
in humans, then consuming cucurbita pumpkin extract
may promote regeneration of damaged pancreatic cells,
boost levels of insulin-producing beta cells and
raise insulin levels in the blood.
“The present study provides
substantial evidence to demonstrate the hypoglycemic
(blood sugar lowering) action of Cucurbita extract,
as well as its role as an antioxidant to reveal a mechanism
for its cytoprotective (cell protecting) action,” wrote
authors Tao Xia and Qin Wang in the Journal of
the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Rejuvenating
Beta Cells
Tao Xia and Qin Wang divided diabetic rats and normal
rats into two groups, one fed a normal diet and the
other fed the normal diet supplemented with the pumpkin
extract for 30 days.
At the end of the study the researchers
discovered that plasma insulin levels in the diabetic
rats receiving cucurbita extract were restored to 95
percent of insulin levels in normal healthy animals.
Additionally, the number of active insulin-positive
(beta) cells in the treated animals was restored to
92 percent of those in the normal healthy controls.
“Pumpkin extract is potentially
a very good product for pre-diabetic persons, as well
as those who have already developed diabetes,” according
to lead author Xia.
These remarkable benefits are believed
due to actions of D-chiroinositol, a molecule isolated
from cucurbita that mediates insulin activity. Additionally,
a new class of compounds identified in cucurbita have
been shown to confer antioxidant protection. Working
together these components boost insulin levels to lower
blood sugar levels and reduce production of oxidative
oxygen species that damage beta-cell membranes; and
prevent further damage to beta cells, allowing the
cells to regenerate.
Type 1 diabetes occurs when people
lose the ability to produce any insulin after the cells
in the pancreas have been damaged, thought to be an
autoimmune response.
The rats used in this study modeled
Type 1 diabetes, but the researchers believe the pumpkin
extract may also play a role in Type 2 diabetes. In
the US, there are over 20 million people with Type
2 diabetes, equal to seven per cent of the population.
Patient care costs are thought to be as much as $132
billion, with $92 billion in direct costs from medications,
according to 2002 American Diabetes Association figures.
“Thus, our studies support
the notion that supplementation of Cucurbita fruit
extract to diabetic patients would help in achieving
good glycemic and metabolic control and prevent long-term
complications as a result of the protection offered
by its antioxidant actions, probably by preserving
the residual beta-cell mass without further losses,” they
concluded.
Commenting independently on the research,
David Bender from Royal Free and University College
Medical School, London, told Chemistry & Industry magazine
that the research was very exciting. “The main
finding is that feeding pumpkin extract prevents the
progressive destruction of pancreatic beta-cells,” he
said.
Herbal
Support for Diabetes
In the late 1980s, Chinese doctors became alarmed by
a huge increase in the incidence of diabetes in China.
Observing that this previously rare condition appeared
to be linked with newly adopted Western eating habits,
they initially relied on Western diabetes drugs to
treat what was perceived to be a primarily Western
disorder. Eventually medical experts turned away from
this approach after noting that, in addition to serious
side effects, modern pharmaceuticals also failed to
address the underlying cause of the problem.
A central tenet of Chinese healing
is to treat both acute symptoms and the underlying
cause of an illness. Based on this principal, leading
Chinese researchers turned their attention to traditional
herbal remedies used in China for thousands of years.
Researchers soon identified some
200 species of herbs that exhibited hypoglycemic (blood
sugar lowering) properties. Some contained polysaccharides
capable of restoring pancreatic tissues to enhance
insulin output from functioning beta cells. Others
were found to enhance microcirculation to increase
availability of insulin and facilitate cellular metabolism.
One of the most promising herbs to
come out of this research was the lowly pumpkin, Cucurbita
ficifolia, which is widely regarded throughout
China as a health food especially suited to aid diabetics
by regulating blood sugar levels.
Modern
Herbal Solution
After ten years of clinical research, a team of doctors
led by Dr. Chuang of Shanghai People’s Hospital,
introduced a unique herbal blend, MetaPhase,
to counter insulin resistance, lower blood sugar levels
and restore pancreatic function. Cucurbita (pumpkin)
is one of the primary active ingredients in MetaPhase.
"Cucurbita
(pumpkin) is
one of the primary active
ingredients in MetaPhase."
Dr. Chuang, a medical researcher
with experience in treating diabetes with both Western
drugs and Chinese herbs, is also a Type 2 diabetic
who successfully brought his own blood sugar levels
into normal range using MetaPhase.
By restoring healthy blood sugar
regulation and normalizing insulin production MetaPhase
has been shown to aid in reversing chronic metabolic
and chemical disturbances caused by long-term exposure
to elevated insulin and blood glucose levels. Additionally,
by curbing carbohydrate cravings MetaPhase has been
shown to support safe and natural weight loss.
Using
MetaPhase
Based on his clinical experience, Dr. Chuang recommends
taking three capsules of MetaPhase, three
times daily, 30 minutes prior to meals. The combination
of herbs in the formula will stimulate a steady improvement
that becomes most noticeable in 7 to 10 days. Once
blood sugar and insulin levels have returned to normal– commonly
within 1 to 3 months–Dr. Chuang recommends a
daily maintenance program consisting of one capsule
in the morning and one in the afternoon before meals
to sustain optimal results.
References
1. Tao Xia, Qin Wang. Hypoglycaemic
role of Cucurbita ficifolia (Cucurbitaceae) fruit extract
in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Journal
of the Science of Food and Agriculture, Vol. 87,
Num. 9, pgs 1753-1757.
2. L. Richards, Eating pumpkins helps diabetics. Chemistry & Industry,
July 9, 2007, pg 9.
