Herbs, spices, grains, legumes, nuts, fruit, berries, vegetables... are rich in chemical compounds: polyphenols. These health promoting compounds are often at the heart of many so-called superfoods. Those consuming diets rich in polyphenols (these are plant forward diets) have better long-term health outcomes and there is growing evidence for their beneficial effects to combat diabetes.
Higher dietary intakes of flavanol, flavonol, flavan-3-ol and isoflavone foods all appear to have beneficial effects for protection against type 2 diabetes. This includes common herbs and spices that have been studied for their effect on the glycemic profile of individuals with type 2 diabetes. Cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, black cumin and saffron reduce fasting glucose. Ginger and black cumin also improved HbA1c levels, while cinnamon and ginger significantly lowers insulin concentrations.
Notably, ginger is the only spice to significantly improve all three outcomes: fasting glucose, HbA1c, and insulin. Further research is needed to assess the effects of other herbs and spices like like clove, parsley and thyme.
Berries, rich in anthocyanins, have also shown positive effects.
Not limited to diabetes, polyphenols support health in other cardiometabolic illnesses.
To see the collection of studies (that we will add to when new research is published), scroll down to bottom of page. If you have any suggestions of other studies to include, add them in the Comments section, also at bottom of page.
Polyphenols are not a magic pill. They should be part of a healthy eating pattern and lifestyle.
To get the benefits of polyphenols, we enjoy using a whole food approach. What does this mean? At a minimum, enjoying fruit, nuts and seeds on a daily basis. Consuming herbs and spices. Prioritising as wide variety of foods as possible: vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
Benefits come from daily eating, daily living - over the course of time. Some may prefer a Western, Mediterranean diet; others a similarly plant forward Asian diet. Be wary of using supplements where the evidence, safety, quality of manufacture or formulation is not as strong as the marketing behind them.
As ever, please talk to your doctor or medical practitioner most familiar with your medical history before implementing any changes in diet, exercise or lifestyle, especially if you are under treatment.
Have specific polyphenol questions? Try the online Phenol-Explorer. The database "contains more than 35,000 content values for 500 different polyphenols in over 400 foods. These data are derived from the systematic collection of more than 60,000 original content values found in more than 1,300 scientific publications."
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
Scroll down to see the studies.
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Diabetes
Garza MC, Pérez-Calahorra S, Rodrigo-Carbó C, Sánchez-Calavera MA, Jarauta E, Mateo-Gallego R, Gracia-Rubio I, Lamiquiz-Moneo I. Effect of Aromatic Herbs and Spices Present in the Mediterranean Diet on the Glycemic Profile in Type 2 Diabetes Subjects: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Nutrients. 2024 Mar 7;16(6):756. doi: 10.3390/nu16060756. PMID: 38542668; PMCID: PMC10975382.
Kumar S, Sharma SK, Mudgal SK, Gaur R, Agarwal R, Singh H, Kalra S. Comparative effectiveness of six herbs in the management of glycemic status of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Diabetes Metab Syndr. 2023 Aug;17(8):102826. doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2023.102826. Epub 2023 Jul 7. PMID: 37451111.
Li J, Sesso HD, Kim E, Manson JE, Friedenberg G, Clar A, Copeland T, Shadyab AH, Wactawski-Wende J, Tinker L, Liu S. Cocoa Extract Supplementation and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: The Cocoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study (COSMOS) Randomized Clinical Trial. Diabetes Care. 2023 Dec 1;46(12):2278-2284. doi: 10.2337/dc23-1012. PMID: 37816167; PMCID: PMC10698212.
Alasvand S, Bridges W, Haley-Zitlin V. Impact of Common Spices on Glycemia in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Curr Dev Nutr. 2020 May 29;4(Suppl 2):2. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzaa040_002. PMCID: PMC7257072.
Guo XF, Ruan Y, Li ZH, Li D. Flavonoid subclasses and type 2 diabetes mellitus risk: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2019;59(17):2850-2862. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2018.1476964. Epub 2019 Jan 21. PMID: 29768032.
Pham NM, Do VV, Lee AH. Polyphenol-rich foods and risk of gestational diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2019 May;73(5):647-656. doi: 10.1038/s41430-018-0218-7. Epub 2018 Jun 25. PMID: 29941912.
Penczynski KJ, Herder C, Krupp D, Rienks J, Egert S, Wudy SA, Roden M, Remer T, Buyken AE. Flavonoid intake from fruit and vegetables during adolescence is prospectively associated with a favourable risk factor profile for type 2 diabetes in early adulthood. Eur J Nutr. 2019 Apr;58(3):1159-1172. doi: 10.1007/s00394-018-1631-3. Epub 2018 Feb 21. PMID: 29468461.
Guo X, Yang B, Tan J, Jiang J, Li D. Associations of dietary intakes of anthocyanins and berry fruits with risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016 Dec;70(12):1360-1367. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.142. Epub 2016 Aug 17. PMID: 27530472.
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