Emulin Compound Holds Diabetes Treatment Potential

New results from a human clinical trial shows up to a 28 percent reduction in glucose levels and the ability to enhance the effectiveness of anti-diabetic pharmaceutical medication.

14/08/08 Two scientists from Florida have discovered a compound they call Emulin because of its ability to emulate insulin. Emulin is naturally derived from phytochemicals in tropical fruits and vegetables and can be used to protect the body from the negative impact of sugar in the bloodstream.

Preclinical studies on rats presented promising results when Emulin showed up to a 27 percent reduction in glucose levels. Now, new results from a human clinical trial shows up to a 28 percent reduction in glucose levels and the ability to enhance the effectiveness of anti-diabetic pharmaceutical medication.

The independent, double-blind clinical study was conducted at dgd Research in San Antonio. The study consisted of 40, Type 2 diabetic patients.  Half of the patients were given Emulin and the other half a placebo.  In both control groups, about half were on a regimen of anti-diabetic drugs, and half not on any drug regimen.  The subjects were randomly split into four treatment groups and given either Emulin or a placebo three times a day, with meals.

"Emulin allows us to take food products that are considered part of the problem, like colas, cakes and cookies, and enlist them to be part of the solution in the fight against diabetes," says Daryl Thompson, scientific director of ATM Metabolics, a research firm specializing in treatments for metabolic and neurological disorders.  "There is a sugar defense mechanism that already exists in plants to make sugary foods safe for humans; we just discovered how to put that compound into typical junk food."

Emulin can be added to any sugar-laden manufactured food and protects the body from the glycemic impact of food without altering the taste. It works by reducing the amount of carbohydrates absorbed after meals and reducing the amount of glucose produced by the liver.  It also accelerates the removal of excess sugar from the bloodstream, mobilizes carbohydrates from fat cells and increases the sensitivity of insulin receptors in the signaling pathways making insulin more efficient.