Fitness and Nutrition News

Strawberries: a New Diabetes Treatment?

By: Dan DiPietro-James | Thursday 30 June 2011 10:19 PDT

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. Sound familiar? It is common knowledge that fruits and vegetables are healthy and can prevent health complications. 

A new study from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies suggests that strawberries may be one of the healthiest fruits and can even prevent kidney problems associated with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. 

Strawberries contain a special compound called fisetin, which is also found in red wine and blueberries. Scientists gave mice afflicted with abnormal levels of blood sugar and diabetes, a diet rich in fisetin. After monitoring their diabetes symptoms they found marked improvement. While the mice continued to suffer from type 1 diabetes, researchers observed their enlarged kidneys shrank to normal size, making them less likely to suffer kidney failure.

Kidney failure is one of the deadliest consequences of diabetes. Researchers also found that high urine levels associated with diabetes fell to normal levels in the mice.

According to the Department of Health and Human Resources, 24 million Americans suffer from type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes. About 180,000 of those patients experience kidney failure. The problem is growing as the obesity epidemic worsens. Children are now one of the populations most at risk for type 2 diabetes.

Scientists at Salk Institute say people at risk of diabetes should eat strawberries along with other fruit as part of their diet. In order to ingest the levels of fisetin the mice received, a human would have to eat 37 strawberries a day. Study authors note it is not necessary to eat this many in a day but including them in one's diet on a regular basis would help. 

Strawberries have been shown to not only prevent kidney failure and diabetes but also several forms of cancer, namely liver cancer. Doctors say that is because they have high levels of:

• Calcium
• Fiber
• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Vitamin C.

They are also known to improve brain function and prevent cerebral disorders by protecting neurons. Overall though, strawberries are the number one source of fisetin compared to other fruits and vegetables. 

Salk researchers say they are in talks with pharmaceutical companies about how fisetin might help treat people at risk of kidney failure and other complications from diabetes.