Type 2 diabetes is one of the fastest-growing diseases in the world, so a lot of research is being done in the field of disease control and prevention. We know many mechanisms by which we can regulate blood glucose levels and prevent
hyperglycemia. These include: delayed and/or reduced gastrointestinal glucose uptake, increased incretin effect (a group of hormones that triggers insulin production), and increased insulin secretion. Many synthetic drugs are available on the market that are effective in providing blood glucose control, however they might cause several side effects. Therefore, in recent years, much attention has been
paid to substances that are already naturally present in human diet and have effects similar to synthetic drugs. Starch to glucose breakdown is led by two main hydrolytic enzymes, α-amylase and α-glucosidase. One way to lower blood glucose is to reduce the action of these two enzymes. While reviewing the literature, I came across a lot of research on the topic of fruit and vegetable extracts with an inhibitory effect on the action of the α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes. I decided to summarize one article for each fruit and vegetable. In general,polyphenolic extracts from fruits, regardless of the treatment process, showed a higher inhibitory capacity than extracts obtained from vegetables. Extracts from darker coloured fruits and vegetables also showed greater inhibitory ability compared to less coloured ones.
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