- The petals of colorful dahlias contain three molecules that together may help people with prediabetes or diabetes control their blood sugar levels, according to new research.
- These molecules reduce brain inflammation, which in turn improves insulin function.
- The discovery may bring a measure of blood sugar control to millions of people worldwide who lack access to medications that are both expensive and often unavailable.
Dahlias, D. pinnata, are more than simply beautifully symmetrical flowers. A new study describes a trio of molecules found in the petals of these flowers that may improve blood sugar regulation in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes.
During a randomized, controlled, cross-over clinical trial, the researchers found that an extract containing the three dahlia molecules significantly improved the study participants’ blood sugar regulation.
In 2015, the authors of the study, from the University of Otago in Aotearoa — the aboriginal name for New Zealand — established that a dietary flavonoid called butein could reduce brain inflammation and that this could improve blood sugar levels in people who have issues with blood sugar level control.
The new study pinpoints the petals of the dahlia flower as a source of butein and two other molecules that boost its efficacy.
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to kidney failure, blindness, strokes, heart attacks, and lower limb amputation. Avoiding such outcomes depends on continual monitoring of blood sugar, lifestyle changes, and typically taking insulin or drugs that can help with blood sugar control.
The study is published in Oxford Academic Life…
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