Seaweeds are offering a natural remedy to fight type-2 diabetes. Researchers of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute, Kochi, have come out with Cadalmin anti-diabetic extract, a nutraceutical product, which they claim, is a green way to keep the disease under check.
Controlling plasma glucose levels is essential for delaying or preventing type-2 diabetes. The plasma glucose level can be controlled by stimulating insulin secretion through medication and or dietary supervision. “The dietary ingestion of seaweeds has been shown to decrease diabetic complications in humans, and also have strong antioxidant properties,” said Kajal Chakraborty, a senior scientist of the institute.
Seaweed extracts have the ability to interfere with the release of simple sugars from the gut, which in turn reduces postprandial (after eating) hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels), said Dr. Chakraborty. The search for safe and effective alternatives to synthetic drugs for fighting the disease led the scientists to investigate into the seaweeds, said P. Vijayagopal, Head of the Biotechnology Division of the Institute.
