Posted on 01/20/2014 7:50:22 AM PST by Mrs. Don-o
It sounds like the ingredient list for an indulgent dessert. But red wine, chocolate and strawberries are more than a guilty pleasure. They could all help guard against diabetes.
A study found for the first time the high content of flavonoids found in berry fruits may regulate blood glucose levels, and stave off type 2 diabetes.
Flavonoids are antioxidant compounds found in plants, as well as tea, red wine and chocolate, which can protect against a wide range of diseases, including heart disease, hypertension, some cancers and dementia.
The study found the main protective effect came from higher intakes of anthocyanins, which are present in strawberries, blackcurrants, blackberries and blueberries.
Researchers from the University of East Anglia (UEA) and King's College London reveal that high intakes are linked with lower insulin resistance and better blood glucose regulation.
They also lowered inflammation which, when chronic, can lead to disease, says the study published today in the Journal of Nutrition.
Prof Aedin Cassidy from UEA's Norwich Medical School, who led the research, said 'We focused on flavones, which are found in herbs and vegetables such as parsley, thyme, and celery, and anthocyanins, found in berries, red grapes, wine and other red or blue-coloured fruits and vegetables.
'This is one of the first large-scale human studies to look at how these powerful bioactive compounds might reduce the risk of diabetes.'
Much more at link.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Until you see the price of strawberries this time of year.
Great...I have lost about 17 lbs since summer...chocolate and red wine NEVER left my menu...they sustained it.
What’s a girl to do, I don’t care for chocolate and can’t tolerate the tannin in red wine (actually, wine in general doesn’t agree with me since they started sulfite to white wines.)
Speaking from experience, that is nothing compared to the expense of diabetes. My meds without insurance exceeded $700 per month for a pre-Insulin treatment a few years back.
bttt
I'm sure that's true.
If you have type 2 diabetes these foods may or may not be good for your intake. Check with a doctor who is familiar with type 2 diabetes. - Tom
As usual, what they give with the title, they take away with the closing.
This is my most recent indulgence. I brew it half and half with my morning coffee.
I’m doing my best.
Can't remember if it specified red or white.
"There's a reason manufacturers use preservatives" /ATK's test lackey
Chocolate and a good Cabernet. Two of my favorite treats.
Even more important than adding in foods such as chocolate and red wine, is eliminating the number of calories one takes in at all, and increasing the amount of exercise one gets. The biggest controllable risk factor for adult-onset diabetes is being overweight. People at risk of obesity, and therefore also of diabetes, are not as likely to benefit from the anti-oxidant properties of chocolate (only dark chocolate is shown to have any benefits for anyone, so eating a candy bar doesn’t count), as they are to benefit from exercise and improved diet.
What’s a girl to do, I don’t care for chocolate and can’t tolerate the tannin in red wine (actually, wine in general doesn’t agree with me since they started sulfite to white wines.)
Try the California chardonnays like Edna Valley and others from the Sonoma area. They generally do not have the sulfites like the French and Washington chardonnays do.
If you are relatively sedentary, and you eat a pile of carbohydrates at every meal, chocolate and red wine will not save you. You have to get out of the habit of always having bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, grits, or whatever, three times a day. Just cut that one item from most meals, and you will live longer and better.
I read that before we became “civilized”, we ate about as much sugar in a year as we now eat in one meal.
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