Scientists of East China Normal University, Shanghai have found that the normal Asian pumpkin may someday replace insulin intake for diabetic patients. The scientists has experimented this on rats suffering from diabetes. Some sick rats were fed on pumpkin extracts for 30 days and some sick rats were fed normally. After 30 days, the rats taking pumpkin supplements had 36 percent increase in plasma insulin compared to rats on normal supplement! This has been reported in the July edition of the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture.
Scientists discovered that the Asian pumpkins contain a compound which can promote the regeneration of damaged insulin producing pancreatic beta cells resulting in the improvement of level of insulin in blood. Prof. Tao who led the research however insists that further research is needed to evaluate the usefulness of pumpkin compound on human cells. But he believes that it could promote the pancreatic B cells in human also. These pancreatic B cells generate a hormone called insulin that controls blood sugar. in type1 diabetes, the body’s immune system attacks those pancreatic cells that wreck the insulin making process which result in blood sugar being uncontrolled and hence regular intake of insulin shot becomes necessary.
However, scientists believe that Asian common pumpkins may reduce the need for daily intake of insulin injections for millions of diabetes worldwide.
