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Compound in strawberries may protect diabetics from complications

Category: Diabetes

Eating more strawberries may help diabetics improve their HbA1c test scores, as a new study out of Salk Institute has found that the fruit contains high levels of an antioxidant that may support metabolic function.

Fisetin has been shown in the past to serve a protective function in cells. Strawberries are among the best sources of the powerful antioxidant. The researchers believe that consuming more of the compound could help diabetics avoid many of the complications associated with their condition.

They tested the effects of a diet rich in the compound on a group of mice bred to exhibit symptoms of diabetes. When these mice are fed a normal diet they generally develop complications like impaired kidney function, retinopathy and neuropathy. However, the researchers found that mice fed a fistein-rich diet were less likely to develop these complications.

"This manuscript describes for the first time a drug that prevents both kidney and brain complications in a type 1 diabetes mouse model," says David Schubert, who led the study.

He added that it may be possible to derive a drug from the substance that protects diabetics from serious complications.