Does Irvingia Impact Diabetes?

Overeating and diabetes:
The link between obesity and Type II diabetes is well-established. Insulin, secreted by the pancreas, is in charge of handling blood sugar, diverting it to the appropriate cells and tissues. However, over time, obese individuals either become insulin-resistant or simply overwhelm their pancreas' ability to secrete the appropriate amount of insulin. Leptin resistance is also seen in obesity and diabetes. Leptin is a hormone which signals the brain when the body's had enough to eat.

Discovering Irvingia's Impact on Diabetes.
Irvingia's background is an interesting one. The link between leptin and weight loss was made decades ago, but scientists couldn't figure out why simply administering the hormone to humans didn't have the same impact on weight as it did when given to mice. As is so often the case, the answer came through epidemiological studies. Researchers in Africa noted that residents of a certain region had a lower incidence of diabetes, obesity, and other weight-related conditions when compared to neighboring populations. A look at the residents' diet revealed use of the Irvingia gabonensis fruit, also referred to as bush mango. The villagers boiled the fruit down to use as a thickener for soup, in effect extracting the active ingredient: irvingia.

How Does Irvingia Impact Diabetes?
A compound which restores leptin and/or sensitivity would have a significant impact on diabetes. Irvingia is thought to impact diabetes by increasing the body's sensitivity to leptin as well as improving insulin sensitivity by increasing levels of the hormone adiponectin, secreted by adipose tissue to increase insulin sensitivity.

Does Irvingia Impact Diabetes?
Put simply, yes, irvingia does impact diabetes. Patients taking irvingia lose weight and losing weight is essential to addressing diabetes. While medications are necessary to bring diabetes under control, losing weight through diet and lifestyle modifications is a simple, effective way to reverse the disease or prevent it in the first place. By aiding the body's natural means of weight control, irvingia can be a helpful tool for diabetics trying to change years of poor diet choices.