WINE "THERAPY" FOR DIABETES CONTROL-WHAT IS THE LOGIC?

There has been lot of excitement amongst those unfortunate people affected by the silent killer disease Diabetes, by the recent bold declaration by scientists from a university in Vienna that wine drinking is more effective in controlling diabetes than the popular drug Rosiglitazone. Probably more than the patients the wine industry would have rejoiced over this claim because of potential increase in business that can be gained, if such a development is accepted universally. Well researched studies have brought to surface the empirical relationship between red wine consumption and a host of diseases including diabetes though conclusive evidence through human studies is yet to emerge. The beneficial effect of consuming moderate amounts of alcoholic beverages is an issue of discussion even to day and there appears to be some agreement regarding the ability of alcohol in dilating arteries and preventing potential clot formation that can result in myocardial infraction and cerebral stroke. The new claim purported to be based on limited studies may deserve some attention and if confirmed can open up a plethora of possibilities in evolving treating regimes for diabetes radically different from that prevalent at present.

Red grapes form an important base for manufacture of the famous red wines and there are are many varieties used for making different type of wines that flood the market. Though its alcoholic content is relatively low compared to hard liquor preparations, still the wines can contribute to calories because of the alcohol as well as sugar present in them. While many doctors find it useful for their patients to consume limited quantity of wine regularly from the health view, over centuries of history wine has captured a unique place in Christianity and amongst party goers. Socially women do not consider wine as an alcoholic beverage and on many special occasions consume wine while the men opt for hard liquors like whiskey, brandy, rum, gin, vodka etc. Attempts in India to exempt sale of wines from the purview of Excise Duty control are based on the perception that increasing production of grapes do not find adequate market and value addition through wine making can be economically rewarding.

Presence of polyphenols, antioxidants and other phytochemicals like flavonoids in red grapes makes it an exceptionally potent therapeutic material that can deal with health problems caused by oxyradicals generated in human body. The anti aging chemical Resveratrol present in wines from grapes is touted as a wonder substance that will benefit mankind in a big way. But the anti-diabetic activity attributed to red wine is presumed to be due to the action of epicatechin gallate and ellagic acid. Also during wine fermentation, it is common to add grape tannins and Oak tannins to boost the antioxidant activity. Red wines, when consumed regularly, are supposed to be helpful against many health afflictions like heart attack, anemia, blindness, some cancer types, high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure conditions. It requires in-depth assessment of hard evidence being offered by some scientific studies for such claims before they can be universally accepted.

In diabetes high and fluctuating sugar levels in the blood need to be prevented to avoid serious consequences like tiredness, heart disease, strokes, blindness, irreversible nerve damage and kidney disease. According to the evidence offered by the Vienna scientists, chemical substances present in red wine some how bind the specific protein, Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor Gamma (PPAR-Gamma) which is present in many tissues in the body primarily involved in development of fat cells, energy storage and in controlling lipid and glucose level in the blood. Such binding results in reduced fat and glucose in the blood and a 100 ml serving of red wine has sufficient chemicals to bind PPAR-Gamma 4 times more effectively than that achieved by Rosiglitazone. That is equivalent to 1.8 to 18 mg of this diabetic drug. What is missing from this study is regarding the identity of the chemical (s) in red grapes responsible for this phenomenon. Also not clear is whether this chemical is present only in wine or in the raw grapes also. The inability of many polyphenolic substances to get across the intestine into the blood and act on PPAR-Gamma complicates the scenario further.

It appears the way wine is consumed will make a difference as fast gulping does not confer some of the benefits claimed because the absorption of the active substance into the blood is 100 times more efficient through the mucus membrane in the mouth when the wine is consumed slowly with more resident time in the mouth. Some of the critics feel that the calorie contribution by the wine far outweighs the benefit of presumed reduction of glucose. One of the mysteries of this claim is the role of alcohol in contributing to the benefits adduced to wine. Grapes have plenty of poly phenolic materials and same is true with a beverage like green tea. Grapes also contain yeast when harvested and further yeast is used for alcoholic fermentation. Reservatrol is known to be a product derived from yeast and therefore raw grapes will not have the benefits attributed to wines. Whether same applies to the chemical (s) that bind PPAR Gamma is some thing that is not clear to day.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/
http://foodtechupdates.blogspot.com

THE 'ALLOPATHIC' OBSESSION- WHY NOT DIET MANAGEMENT?

A recent study in UK has revealed how physicians take to the drug route to treat persons diagnosed with Type II diabetes based on blood sugar readings marginally higher than the upper limit considered as normal. While a glucose level of 100 mg per deciliter is considered normal for fasting, 150 mg per deciliter is taken as normal level for post-prandial sugar. Due to many reasons blood sugar levels tend go beyond these notional values and many a time normal levels are achieved without any treatment at all. Tendency in western countries is to treat diabetes symptoms aggressively, fearing serious damage to the body system if not brought under control. It is indisputable that persistent high levels of sugar can precipitate many collateral disorders like CVD, kidney damage, neuropathy etc and such patients must be under medical supervision with suitable medicines that are available under different brand names.

It is ridiculous to see the present paranoia of people diagnosed as marginal diabetics, obsessed with glucose monitoring half a dozen times every day using expensive enzyme strips and sophisticated measuring devices. In India each enzyme strip, with limited life, costs between Rs 15 and Rs 50 while the digital reader is being sold at around Rs 2000 per unit. Added to this the lancer pen and the lancers, used pricking the finger to raw blood through capillary action, cost another fortune. What about the painful pricks one has to endure each time testing is to be done. It is not realized that measurement of glycosylated hemoglobin once in 3 months can give a better picture about the sugar dynamics in the blood than frequent testing at home. Probably those with Type I diabetes may need to keep a strict vigil on their blood sugar levels, since they are insulin dependent, based on which they can design their diets and prevent episodes of hypoglycemia.

Unless you are an athlete or physically hard working person, there is no need to try for fast rise in glucose in the blood and 'evening out' sugar absorption from the intestine is considered a much better way of staying healthy. As for diabetes affected persons, the best course is to think of modifying the food habits to eat more of foods with low glycaemic index (GL) and low glycaemic load(GL) per serving, in stead of fast sugar releasing foods like sweets, refined flour based foods and high GI products. It has become a routine in India also to condemn people with marginally higher sugar levels in the blood as diabetics though mercifully they are branded Type II diabetics and put on allopathic medicines on a regular basis for their life time. Generally those leading some what sedentary life style are likely to cross the 'Random Blood Sugar' threshold of 150 mg between the age 50 and 60 years and if adequate diet adjustment is made, probably there may not be any need for medication to 'manage' blood glucose.

Why people do not have faith in foods as a means of tackling this mild metabolic aberration is some thing puzzling. As early as 1550 BC the famous Ebers Papyrus had advocated treating diabetic syndrome with high fiber wheat grain and not much has changed since then except we have a mulibillion pharma industry churning out hundreds of medicines to lower blood sugar amongst the population supposed to be affected. Plant foods must be the drugs of choice to deal with diabetics at its early stages and there are more than 400 plants identified, used and prescribed as diabetic remedies. Why low GI foods are prefered for healthy living? It increases body's sensitivity to insulin, reduces significantly the risk of CVD, controls blood sugar better in case of diabetics, reduces cholesterol levels and reduces the cravings for food. Diets dominated by oats, barley, whole grains bases foods, multigrain breads and rotis, pasta, nuts, legumes, dark green leafy vegetables, raw onion, garlic, bitter gourd, bengal gram, yogurt, beans, apple and grapefruit, ground nut and soybean, in any permutation-combination can help to control glucose levels in the blood.

There is more or less unanimity that we must consume at least 30-35 gm dietary fiber daily. Also we must spread out the number of meals from 2-3 to 4-5 per day, avoid high fat bakery foods replacing them with cooked whole cereals, avoid eating carbohydrate meals 2 hours before bed time and consume daily at least 5-6 servings of fruits and vegetables. It is advisable for an individual to adopt a low salt daily diet involving whole cereals, legumes, green beans and starchy vegetables as main energy source through 5-6 servings, variety of vegetables for supplying micro nutrients, health sustaining phytochemicals and some fiber via 3-5 servings, fruits another 2-3 servings, milk 2-3 servings, meat and allied foods 2-3 servings and fats and sweets 1/2 to 1 serving or less. The motto of modern society should be to go back to nature and less dependence on drugs and medicines for healthy life.

V.H.POTTY
http://vhpotty.blogspot.com/