Insulin resistance is a condition in which the body's demand for insulin, a hormone that helps to convert glucose for energy, becomes so high that the pancreas eventually cannot keep up, leading to excess glucose in the blood. This sets stage for development of Type 2 diabetes. The American Diabetes Association defines prediabetes or insulin resistance as having a fasting blood glucose between 100 and 126 mg/dl or a two-hour post-meal blood glucose of 140 to 199 mg/dl. Fortunately, researchers have found that including sea vegetables in your diet may reduce your risk for developing insulin resistance.
Benefits of Seaweeds
Sea vegetables or seaweeds, which are traditional foods in many Asian cultures, have gained much attention in the West due to their rich nutritional content and purported anti-cancer properties. They are now being studied for their possible role in dealing with insulin resistance.
Types of Seaweed
According to OceanVegetables.com, sea vegetables are divided into three types: green, brown and red algae. Green algae grow in shallow waters; examples are spirulina, wakame and laver. Brown algae grow in colder, subtidal areas generally 5 to 7 feet below sea level; these include kombu, arame and hijiki. Red algae grow at a 300-foot depth; examples are Irish moss, coralline algae and dulse. A typical portion of seaweed is 8 g dried.
Antioxidants
Dr. Mancini, who recently presented at the Endocrine Society in San Diego, found that a diet loaded with antioxidants in addition to calorie-restricted, Mediterranean food choices improves insulin resistance. Seaweeds, considered a powerhouse of antioxidants, are especially rich in vitamin C, vitamin E and zinc, which have been shown to reduce insulin resistance and thus improve glucose metabolism in Type 2 diabetics.
Fiber
High-fiber diets can improve insulin resistance by slowing down carbohydrate absorption and can improve insulin sensitivity even without weight loss. Seaweeds are plant foods naturally high both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Satiety and Weight Loss
Dr. Paxman, publishing in "Appetite," found that the alginate component of seaweed reduces energy absorption of food and decreases appetite through its gel-forming properties. Both are potential therapies for weight reduction, a factor that has a strong role in insulin resistance.
Considerations
Studies on seaweeds and insulin resistance are promising but scarce, and more large-scale research is needed to confirm the benefits. At the same time, care should be taken with various forms of seaweeds, especially as supplements, due to concerns about potential levels of heavy metals. Also watch out for sodium if you are sensitive to salt or have high blood pressure. Always talk to your doctor before starting on a concentrated dose of algae.
References
- American Diabetes Association: How to Tell If You Have Prediabetes
- "Life Science", Different Roles of Zinc plus Arachidonic Acid on Insulin Sensitivity between High Fructose- and High Fat-Fed Rats; Inkyung Hwang et al.; January 2011
- Endocrine Society; Abstracts: Hormonal Response to Natural Dietary Antioxidants in Obese Patients With Insulin Resistance: Multivariate Analysis Approach; A. Mancini; June 2011
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of Supplemented Isoenergetic Diets Differing in Cereal Fiber and Protein Content on Insulin Sensitivity in Overweight Humans; Martin O. Weickert et al.; June 2011
- "Appetite"; Daily Ingestion of Alginate Reduces Energy Intake in Free-Living Subjects; J.R. Paxman et al.; November 2008
- "Journal of Clinical Biochemical Nutrition"; Antioxidant Effects and Insulin Resistance Improvement of Chromium Combined With Vitamin C and E Supplementation for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus; Ming-Hoang Lai; November 2008
