Meal Consumption Frequency in Patients with Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes

In diabetic individuals, the number of meals is important and long-term irregular food intake may cause hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia complications. The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge levels and consumption status of the patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The study included a total of 40 individuals (24 males and 16 females) with diabetes in the province of Sanliurfa, Turkey. The questionnaire was used as the data collection method. The questionnaire was prepared in order to evaluate the frequency, knowledge levels, consumption status and biochemical findings (HbA1c, Fasting Blood Glucose) of individuals. It was determined that food preferences were differentiated after diagnosis by type of diabetes. It has been determined that the number of meals consumed according to the type of diabetes. Patients with Type 2 diabetes had higher BMI, fasting blood sugar and HbA1c values than patients with Type 1 diabetes. When the number of meals was examined, 50% of Type 1 diabetic patients consumed 6-8 meals, whereas 50% of patients with Type 2 diabetes consumed 4-6 meals (p = 0.001). In diabetic patients, blood findings, frequency of food consumption and BMI values vary according to type of diabetes. In the context of diabetes management and control of blood glucose levels, solutions should be studied on regulation of meal consumption

Consumer Acceptability of Crackers Produced from Blend of Sprouted Pigeon Pea, Unripe Plantain and Brewers’ Spent Grain and Its Hypoglycemic Effect in Diabetic Rats

Physical, sensory properties and hypoglycemic effect of crackers produced from sprouted pigeon pea, unripe plantain and brewers’ spent grain fed to diabetic rats were investigated. Different composite flours were used to produce crackers. Physical and sensory properties of the crackers, the blood serum of the rats and changes in the rat body weight were measured. Spread ratio and break strength of the crackers from different flour blends ranges from 7.01 g to 8.51 g and 1.87 g to 3.01 g respectively. The acceptability of the crackers revealed that Sample A (100% wheat crackers) was not significantly (p>0.05) different from Samples C and D. Feeding the rats with formulated crackers caused an increase in the body weight of the rats but a reduced body weight was observed in diabetic rats fed with normal rat feed. The result indicated that cracker produced from the formulated flour blends caused a significant hypoglycemic effect in diabetic rats and led to a reduction of measured biochemical indices. Therefore, this work showed that consumption of crackers from the above formulated flour blend was able to decrease hyperglycemia in diabetic rats.

Screening of Potential Sources of Tannin and Its Therapeutic Application

Tannins are a unique category of plant phytochemicals especially in terms of their vast potential health-benefiting properties. Researchers have described the capacity of tannins to enhance glucose uptake and inhibit adipogenesis, thus being potential drugs for the treatment of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. Thus, the present research was conducted to find out tannin content of food products. The percentage of tannin in various analyzed sources ranged from 0.0 to 108.53%; highest in kathaa and lowest in ker and mango bark. The percentage of tannins present in the plants, however, varies. Numerous studies have confirmed that the naturally occurring polyphenols are key factor for the beneficial effects of the herbal medicines. Isolation and identification of active constituents from plants, preparation of standardized dose & dosage regimen can play a significant role in improving the hypoglycaemic action.