Research carried out by scientists at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England has found that resveratrol, a compound present naturally in grape skin, can protect against the cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high production of glucose in diabetes, according to a paper published in the science journal “Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism” this week.
The elevated levels of glucose that circulate in the blood of patients with diabetes causes micro- and macrovascular complications by damaging mitochondria, the tiny power plants within cells responsible for generating energy. When they are damaged they can leak electrons and make highly damaging ‘free radicals’.
Complications that can result when this happen include nephropathy (kidney disease), heart disease and retinopathy (which if left untreated can lead to blindness).
Resveratrol stops the damage by helping cells make protective enzymes to prevent the leakage of electrons and the production of toxic ‘free radicals’.
As well as being naturally present in grape skins, resveratrol is also present in seeds, peanuts and red wine.
Dr. Matt Whiteman, Principal Investigator and Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Peninsula Medical School, commented: “Resveratrol’s antioxidant effects in the test tube are well documented but our research shows the link between high levels of glucose, its damaging effect on cell structure, and the ability of resveratrol of protect against and mend that damage.”
He added: “Resveratrol or related compounds could be used to block the damaging effect of glucose which in turn might fight the often life threatening complications that accompany diabetes. It could well be the basis of effective diet-based therapies for the prevention of vascular damage caused by hyperglycaemia in the future.”
Source: The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
Related stories:
Broccoli could reverse the heart damaging effects of diabetes
Researchers have discovered eating broccoli could undo the damage caused by diabetes to heart blood vessels.
Life-extending protein can also have damaging effects on brain cells
Proteins widely believed to protect against aging can actually cause oxidative damage in mammalian brain cells, according to a new report in the July
Cell Metabolism, a publication of Cell Press. The findings suggest that the proteins can have both proaging and protective functions, depending on the circumstances, the researchers said.
Hearing loss is common in people with diabetes
Hearing loss is about twice as common in adults with diabetes compared to those who do not have the disease, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
High blood pressure, high cholesterol may be associated with retinal vascular disease
High blood pressure and high cholesterol levels appear to be risk factors for retinal vein occlusion, a condition that causes vision loss, according to a report in the May issue of
Archives of Ophthalmology.
Research says Diabetics Most at Risk from Neglected Post Meal Sugar Peak
Christmas time is full of food when most of us simply have to worry about our expanding waist lines but new research led by the University of Warwick’s Medical School says that people with diabetes need to pay attention to the dangers of a neglected post meal peak in blood glucose. Indeed the research shows that this post meal peak can do even more damage than a more sustained rise in blood sugar.
Researchers explain cell response to skin-damaging UV rays
It’s well known that overexposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun can cause major skin problems, ranging from skin cancer to sunburns and premature wrinkles. A tan, for example, is nature’s own UV protection and an unhealthy sign that your skin is damaged.
Antioxidant overload may underlie a heritable human disease
Despite the popular notion that antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, offer health-promoting benefits by protecting against damaging free radicals, a new study in the August 10 issue of the journal
Cell reveals that, in fact, balance is the key. The researchers show in mice that an overload of natural antioxidants can actually lead the heart to failure.
Glucosamine-like supplement inhibits multiple sclerosis, type 1 diabetes
A glucosamine-like dietary supplement has been found to suppress the damaging autoimmune response seen in multiple sclerosis and type-1 diabetes mellitus, according to University of California, Irvine health sciences researchers.