Can certain foods reduce the risk of diabetes?

High blood pressure can be a sign that something’s not right in your body. If you suffer from this and other cardiovascular conditions that put you at risk for diabetes, an all-natural supplement by Dr. Newton’s Naturals like OmegaKrill may bolster circulatory system function and healthy blood pressure levels.

However, new research suggests that some foods may help prevent diabetes from forming.

According to a recent Thai study published in the journal Diabetes Care, daily doses of curcumin, which is a common component found in curry spice, may reduce the likelihood of diabetes forming in people suffering from prediabetes, reports Reuters.

This condition, which is characterized by very high blood sugar, can morph into type 2 diabetes over time.

“Because of its benefits and safety, we propose that curcumin extract may be used for an intervention therapy for the prediabetes population,” wrote lead author Somlak Chuengsamarn of Srinakharinwirot University in Nakomnayok, Thailand.

Over 200 prediabetes Thai adults participated in the study. Of that group, researchers randomly assigned daily curcumin supplements to half the group and placebo supplements to others. After nine months, none of the participants who had been given curcumin supplements developed type 2 diabetes. Comparatively, 19 of the 116 patients assigned placebo supplements were diagnosed with the condition.

Researchers speculate that curcumin, which has anti-inflammatory properties, helps shield beta-cells from damage. Beta-cells are found in the pancreas and release insulin, which is an important hormone that the body needs to regulate blood sugar levels.

While curcumin can be useful in fending off diabetes, it’s not the only food that could help lower your risk for developing the disease. In a separate study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, cheese lovers were found to have a lower risk of diabetes than those who did not eat cheese, reports The Huffington Post.

While the risk of diabetes decreased with cheese consumption, it may not be wise to over-indulge in the food, as it is rich in saturated fat and calories.

The source suggests the benefits of cheese may have something to do with trans-palmitoleic acid, a fatty acid found in cheese, yogurt, milk and butter. According to researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, who conducted a 2010 study on the benefits of trans-palmitoleic acid, this substance is not naturally produced by the body yet may significantly reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes.

“There has been no clear biologic explanation for the lower risk of diabetes seen with higher dairy consumption in prior studies,” said lead author Dariush Mozaffarian. “This is the first time that the relationship of trans-palmitoleic acid with diabetes risk has been evaluated.”

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