Herbal Ashwagandha, the Anti-Insulin Resistance Remedy

Insulin resistance is a hallmark of type 2 diabetes caused by the inability of the body to use insulin properly to convert glucose to energy in the muscles, body fat, intestine, and liver.

According to the statistics, over 100 million Americans are living with insulin resistance. Approximately 1 in 3, including half of those age 60 and older have a silent blood sugar problem known as insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is not caused by a single factor. The increase in age, ethnicity, overweight or obese, too much belly fat, physical inactivity, smoking and certain medical conditions such as Cushing’s disease or polycystic ovary disease are some of the prevalent factors found in patients with the condition.

Epidemiologically, over time, insulin resistance associated with a genetic preposition can reduce the function of the beta cells in the pancreas, leading to the onset of prediabetes and diabetes.

Unmanaged insulin resistance has been found to induce polyuria, polydipsia, polyphagia, and weight loss associated with hyperglycemia, particularly in patients with hypertension.

Conventionally, there is no effective treatment for insulin resistance. However, a change of diets such as low-carbohydrate and ketogenic diets or very-low-calorie diet and regular physical activity patients to prevent the risk of obesity may reduce the effects of insulin resistance.

Ashwagandha also is known as Withania somnifera is a nightshade plant in the genus of Withania, belonging to the family Solanaceae, native to the dry parts of India, North Africa, Middle East, and the Mediterranean.

The herbal medicine has been considered as Indian ginseng and used in Ayurvedic medicine over 3000 years to treat tumors and tubercular glands, carbuncles, memory loss, and ulcers and considered as anti-stress, cognition-facilitating, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging herbal medicine.

On finding a potent compound for the treatment of hyperglycemia, researchers examined the effects of Withania somnifera root (WS) on insulin resistance in an animal model.


Selected 48 Wistar-Albino male rats in the study were randomly divided into four groups (n=12); Group I as control, Group II as sham-treated with WS by 62.5mg/g per diet, Group III fructose-fed rats received 10%W/V fructose, and Group IV fructose- and WS-fed rats.

According to the analysis of blood samples collected at the end of the experiment, group III showed a significant increase in the levels of blood glucose, insulin, homeostasis associated with insulin resistance compared to controls.

Furthermore, levels of inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6, and TNF-α levels in blood serum of group III fed by fructose were also increased compared to control.

Expression of TNF-α and IL-6, levels induced inflammation have been found to cause insulin resistance by affecting glucose uptake, epidemiologically.

However, Treatment with WS in group rats fed with fructose demonstrated significant inhibition of increases in glucose, insulin, HOMA-R, IL-6, and TNF-α, the parameters associated with insulin resistance.

Taken altogether, Ashwagandha may be considered a functional herb for the prevention and treatment of insulin resistance, pending to the confirmation of larger sample size and multicenter study.

Natural Medicine for Fatty Liver And Obesity Reversal - The Revolutionary Findings To Achieve Optimal Health And Lose Weight

How To Get Rid Of Eye Floaters
Contrary To Professionals Prediction, Floaters Can Be Cured Naturally

Ovarian Cysts And PCOS Elimination
Holistic System In Existence That Will Show You How-To
Permanently Eliminate All Types of Ovarian Cysts Within 2 Months

Back to Kyle J. Norton Homepage http://kylejnorton.blogspot.ca


Author Biography
Kyle J. Norton (Scholar, Master of Nutrition, All right reserved)
Health article writer and researcher; Over 10.000 articles and research papers have been written and published online, including worldwide health, ezine articles, article base, health blogs, self-growth, best before it's news, the karate GB daily, etc.,.
Named TOP 50 MEDICAL ESSAYS FOR ARTISTS & AUTHORS TO READ by Disilgold.com Named 50 of the best health Tweeters Canada - Huffington Post
Nominated for shorty award over last 4 years
Some articles have been used as references in medical research, such as international journal Pharma and Bioscience, ISSN 0975-6299.

Sources
(1) Withaferin A Protects Against High-Fat Diet-Induced Obesity Via Attenuation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Insulin Resistance by Abu Bakar MH1, Azmi MN2, Shariff KA3, Tan JS. (PubMed)
(2) Protective effects of Withania somnifera root on inflammatory markers and insulin resistance in fructose-fed rats by Samadi Noshahr Z1, Shahraki MR2, Ahmadvand H3, Nourabadi D4, Nakhaei A. (PubMed)