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Diabetes is a disease
characterized by high blood glucose levels, which is a result from in the
body's inability to produce and use insulin. Diabetes can strike just
anyone. According to the diabetes
research institute only in the last decade diabetes increased
more than 40 percent to almost 26 million Americans. In fact, diabetes
takes more lives than AIDS and breast cancer combined. Diabetes is a
leading cause of heart failure and stroke, kidney failure, blindness and
amputations. The following is studies on diabetes related to eating chia
seeds
In
a study
published by the American Diabetes Association show that 20 diabetic
patients received either 37 grams of chia seeds, or 37 grams of wheat bran,
for 12 weeks. Findings are that consuming chia seeds (botanical name Salvia
hispanica L.) along with a high-sugar diet gradually reduces insulin resistance.
This Study also finds that consuming chia seeds result in lower insulin
levels, lower blood sugar and a reduced body fat.
Type
2 diabetic patients was found to be the most successful by consuming chia
seeds. Further studies show that chia is a potential natural treatment for
type-2 diabetes because of the seeds’ ability to slow down digestion thru
its gelatinous coating. This gelatinous coating chia seeds develop when
exposed to liquids and prevent blood sugar spikes. To be more precise, findings
show that an inflammatory marker called hs-CRP went down by 40%
and more important that blood pressure went down by 3 to 6 mm/ Hg.
A
risk factor called vWF also decreased by 21%. These significant results are
the result of the fact that chia seeds are very rich in fibers and form a
gel once in contact with a liquid and exactly this gel slows down the
breakdown of carbohydrates, avoiding blood sugar spikes after meals,
allowing the digestive system to process the sugars in a more stable and
gradual manner. Read more on the use of fibers in your diet.
The
British Journal of Nutrition published in January 2009 a study with diabetic rats
that chia has the ability to reduce the cholesterol and the fat
in the blood while normalizing the insulin resistance in. These findings
underline the findings of an earlier study conducted in 2007 for the
Diabetes Care journal. In this study it was found that chia seeds improved
"major
and emerging cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes".
About
40 grams daily of chia seeds shows in a research with diabetic subjects
that result in significantly
decreased systolic blood pressure. A blood protein that is a
measure of chronic inflammation called C-reactive protein (CRP) was also
reduced significantly. In a
study with rats fed with chia seeds it showed a significant
decrease in serum triacylglycerol content.
Yet
another
study showed that a dietary pattern of soy protein, and oat,
nopal and chia seed showed a reduction
in serum triglyceride levels; serum CRP (C-Reactive Protein
test, indicates acute inflammation or infection), and insulin AUC (3).
Regarding cardiovascular
risk factors DHA has been shown to reduce triglyceride concentrations.
Different studies
on rats also show that chia seeds raise HDL (the good
cholesterol) and lower triglycerides, reduce insulin resistance,
belly fat and inflammation.
Conclusion
Diabetes
is a disease in which the body is unable to produce insulin resulting in
high blood glucose levels. Diabetes is a leading cause of heart failure and
stroke, kidney failure, blindness and amputations.
Eating chia seeds result in lower insulin levels, lower blood sugar and
a reduced body fat benefiting especially diabetes type 2 patients.
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