NEW DELHI, Mar 25 : At a time when diabetes care largely revolves around controlling blood sugar, scientists at Hyderabad’s National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) have developed a poly-herbal formulation from common kitchen ingredients that may help prevent the disease’s long-term complications.
The institute, which functions under the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), said the mix is designed to address long-term complications such as kidney damage, vision loss, and nerve disorders, conditions commonly associated with insulin resistance.
Current treatment strategies largely focus on controlling blood sugar levels and reducing weight. However, researchers say growing evidence suggests that managing glucose alone may not be sufficient to prevent long-term damage.
“The management of diabetes and obesity must evolve beyond simple glucose monitoring,” said Dr Bhanuprakash Reddy, lead author of the study.
Over the past decade, Dr. Reddy’s team screened multiple food components for their ability to counter low-grade inflammation, oxidative stress, and the buildup of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), key processes underlying complications in diabetes and obesity.
The researchers identified bioactive compounds in ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, amla, and turmeric as particularly effective. Each ingredient was found to act on different biological pathways, prompting the team to combine them into a single “poly-herbal mix”.
According to the researchers, the formulation showed strong anti-AGE activity and inhibited aldose reductase, an enzyme linked to diabetic complications, indicating potential therapeutic benefits.
“Our findings suggest that this formulation can not only help control weight and blood sugar levels but may also slow the progression of long-term complications through multiple biological mechanisms,” Dr Reddy said.
Preclinical studies conducted on rats showed improvements in conditions such as nephropathy (kidney disease), retinopathy (eye damage), cataracts, and nerve-related changes. The formulation also demonstrated preventive potential, with treated animals showing fewer signs of disease progression.
Following these results, the institute developed a standardized Poly-Herbal Extract (PHE) using precise proportions of the ingredients. Laboratory-scale pilot studies indicated that the extract produced enhanced effects compared to individual components.
While the findings are promising, experts caution that clinical validation in humans will be critical before the formulation can be recommended for widespread use.
(UNI)
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