A molecule found in grape skins and red wine could reverse diabetes by lowering insulin levels, even among sufferers who have a high-fat diet.
The molecule, resveratrol, normalizes insulin levels after five weeks’ usage, even when there was no change to diet or body weight, a study of laboratory mice has discovered.
But researchers warn diabetics not to rush for the red wine. The experiments with the mice involved direct injections of resveratrol into their brains, and usually the molecule has a hard time crossing the blood-brain barrier. They think that the amount of alcohol needed to be consumed in order to have similar effects would be detrimental to a person’s health.
(Source: Endocrinology, 2009; doi: 10.1210/en.2009-0528).