New diabetes drug?

Researchers at the University of Haifa have discovered a substance called Glucose Tolerance Factor (GTF) derived from yeast with hypoglycemic properties. The research has been conducted in diabetic rats and found to reduce blood glucose and lipids. The next phase of research is to conduct human testing as to the effectiveness of GTF.

The research was conducted on two levels: on diabetic rats and on a molecular-cell level. The results found that GTF acts similarly to insulin in rats by lowering glucose levels and the LDL- cholesterol (L for lousy;bad), and raised the HDL-cholesterol levels (H for happy;good). GTF was also found to inhibit the oxidation processes that can cause atherosclerosis and lead to further complications such as stroke or heart attacks. When GTF was administered at an early stage of the disease, it might prevent or delay kidney complications. In addition, it was also found to prevent cataracts and retinal damage and improve the effectiveness of injected insulin. Further research is needed with human testing to evaluate whether the use of GTF and insulin can be used as a possible diabetes treatment.

Source: Newswire