It tastes delicious and is not only in great demand in summer: the following fruit is said to have such a positive effect on blood sugar that type 2 diabetes does not even develop.
Watermelon is the perfect summer snack: it quenches thirst because it consists almost entirely of water and it also tastes deliciously refreshing.
But apparently the fruit can do even more: For example, the ingredients of watermelon, which comes from Africa, are said to have a positive effect on our body - even with an unhealthy diet.
In animal experiments, researchers analyzed how watermelon powder influences the development of type 2 diabetes *.
Diet for type 2 diabetes: watermelon for better blood sugar levels?
A study by Oregon State University in the USA came to the conclusion that dietary supplements in powder form made from watermelons
could have positive effects on the human organism
.
The scientists had tested obese mice to see how watermelon food supplements affect their health.
Surprisingly, the researchers found positive effects in the group of mice that ate watermelon powder but continued to eat high-fat.
In animal experiments, mice were fed a diet rich in fat and sugar for ten weeks and divided into groups.
One group also received high-dose watermelon food supplements.
After evaluating the mice's weight and glucose tolerance, the researchers were able to determine
that the watermelon group had significantly better blood sugar levels than the group that did not get any watermelon powder
.
The researchers also saw an increase in beneficial bacteria in the mice that were given powder supplements, said study co-author Neil Shay, a professor of food science at the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences.
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Elevated blood sugar levels are an indicator of type 2 diabetes
The next major step in research would be a human clinical trial, Professor Shay said in an Oregon State University publication.
The American scientists see high blood sugar levels as an enormous risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes
.
An increased blood sugar level could result in the body not producing enough insulin or not using it properly.
Insulin is a hormone that converts food into energy.
Doctors agree: a balanced diet and plenty of exercise can prevent the development of type 2 diabetes.
Whether the watermelon food supplement should be included in the therapy of type 2 diabetes still has to be researched in studies on humans, but the mouse experiment showed the positive effect: "Although the two groups of mice consumed the
same amount of fat and sugar
, Eating 1.5 servings of watermelon meat, or two percent high fiber watermelon rind or skin, had a significant impact, "said Neil Shay.
(jg) * Merkur.de belongs to the Germany-wide Ippen-Digital editorial network
.
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What else there is to know about sugar and a low-sugar diet:
Grains instead of soft drinks:
Sugar is essential
- but too much of it can make you sick.
But a healthy life is more than just “less sugar”.
It also involves more exercise and plenty of drinking.
List of rubric lists: © picture alliance / Britta Pedersen