Resveratrol and Type II Diabietes

Today ReserveAge Organics presents some of the information it has gathered on Resveratrol’s impact on Type 2 Diabetes.

Diabetes Type 2 is one of the fastest growing, and most preventable, diseases in America . Diabetes is a disease wherein cells in the body stop taking in glucose. Glucose is brought into cells by a hormone called insulin and is then used as fuel for the cells. There are two types of diabetes.

In Type 1, the cells that produce insulin stop working or die. Without insulin, glucose is unable to get into cells. This is often referred to as juvenile diabetes because it is most likely to occur during childhood. In Type 2, cells become resistant to insulin and allow less or none of it in. If the insulin can’t get in, then no glucose gets in and the cells starve.

In 2007 alone, the American Diabetes Association estimated that 8% of the population had Type 2 Diabetes and another 20% of the entire population was at risk of developing it . The major cause of Type 2 Diabetes is a poor lifestyle. Improper diets high in calories and fat, combined with a lack of exercise, over-tax our systems by flooding our blood with glucose. Eventually, our cells develop a resistance to insulin.

Type 2 Diabetes can be avoided or dealt with in early stages by reversing lifestyle trends that lead to it. Eating healthier foods and exercising, even a little each day, can have impressive results.

In more severe cases, insulin-like medications are used in addition to lifestyle changes. These medications amplify the effects of insulin, bringing glucose into the cells. Unfortunately, these medications can be very dangerous —too little glucose is just as dangerous as too much and the medications can have unpleasant side effects.

Earlier, we spoke of Dr. David Sinclair, the scientist at Harvard who studied Resveratrol in mice. One of his amazing discoveries was that mice who were being overfed a high fat diet and supplemented with Trans-Resveratrol experienced the same rate of diabetes as non-obese mice in the control group . This led Dr. Sinclair to begin a company based on treating diabetes using Trans-Resveratrol which was eventually bought by one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, GlaxoSmithKline.

Research to uncover the exact mechanisms of action in Trans-Resveratrol is still being conducted. For now, it appears that Trans-Resveratrol, in large doses, decreases insulin resistance in cells and may even stop cells from becoming insulin resistant in the first place . Additionally, unlike many common diabetes medications which are riddled with side effects, Trans-Resveratrol doesn’t have any known side effects,

The human trials so far have been going very well, yet they are still years from being completed. So while positive, it’s important to be cautiously optimistic until we see the final results. Unfortunately, many other drugs reach the same point as these trials only to fail before the research is completed.

However, until then, we can watch these studies with a confident, hopeful outlook. The discovery of a safe treatment for perhaps the most pervasive disease in the world is a very exciting prospect indeed.

Sources:

“National diabetes fact sheet,” National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and health Promotion, www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/estimates05.htm

http://www.diabetes.org/about-diabetes.jsp.

R. Rubin. Diabeteics face risk on drug choices. USA Today, June 4, 2007.

Kevin J. Pearson, david A. Sinclair, and Rafael de Cabo. Resveratrol delays age-related deterioration and mimics transcriptional aspects of dietary restriction without existing lifespan. Cell Metabolism 8 (2) (August 2008):157-168

Elliott PJ, Jirousek, M. Sirtuins: Novel targets for metabolic disease. Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2008 Apr;9(4):371-8.