Well, maybe not directly. But researchers at the University of Guelph have discovered that fat molecule present only in Avocados can inhibit cellular processes in the pancreas that normally lead to diabetes. And they’re following up their initial studies by developing a supplement…
It all started here: A fatty molecule found naturally only in Avocados
has been shown to help treat diabetes. But you’d need to eat a
whole pile of these to experience beneficial effects…
About one in four Canadians is obese, a chronic condition that is a leading cause of Type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance in diabetic patients means their bodies are unable to properly remove glucose from the blood.
Those complications can arise when mitochondria, or the energy powerhouses in the body’s cells, are unable to burn fatty acids completely.
What they did
Reserarchers fed mice high-fat diets for eight weeks to induce obesity and insulin resistance. For the next five weeks, they added a substance called AvoB to the high-fat diets of half of the mice.
What they found
The treated mice weighed significantly less than those in the control group, showing slower weight gain. More important, the treated mice showed greater insulin sensitivity, meaning that their bodies were able to absorb and burn blood glucose and improve their response to insulin.
In a human clinical study, AvoB given as a dietary supplement to participants eating a typical western diet was absorbed safely into their blood without affecting the kidney, liver or skeletal muscle. The team also saw reductions in weight in human subjects, although the result was not statistically significant.
The takeaway
Team leader Dr. Paul Spagnuolo says further research is being conducted to determine how much AvoB is needed to produce therapeutic effects in humans. When that’s nailed down, he hopes to start selling the stuff as a supplement in pill and powder form, perhaps as soon as next year.
Spagnuolo says, in theory you could get the same results from eating fresh Avocoados, but because the amount of AvoB found naturally in the fruit is small, you’d have to eat a whole lot of them.
My take
Of course, Spagnuolo would say that – he’s planning on building a nice fat pension based on sales of his new miracle anti-diabetes supplement. Or am I just being a cynical, sour (perhaps even jealous) old conspiracy theorist about that?
Seriously, folks… If AvoB supplements help millions suffering from diabetes improve the quality of their lives, I’m all for them.
Spagnuolo says he and his team are planing further clinical trials to study the effectiveness of AvoB in treating other metabolic diseases. I hope he and his people succeed.
~ Maggie J.