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herbal remedies for diabetes London: Ancient herbal remedies, used for centuries in Indian cooking, as well as in other Asian cuisines, have the potential to control, and possibly even cure, certain common diseases. This may not be news to many people throughout Asia, but new research goes further than before in stating the possibilities that certain plants and spices can offer. A team of scientists at King's College, London, say they have found that, for example, the Indian curry leaf probably contains elements that can help alleviate the symptoms of diabetes, by controlling the amount of glucose entering the bloodstream. Perhaps even more astonishing is the claim by Professor Peter Houghton, who headed up the twenty strong research team, that other plants, either used in Asian cooking or in alternative medicine, could well have ingredients which can help in the fight against cancer. He singled out star anise, often used in Chinese cooking, as being of special interest. Professor Houghton said that the research team's findings, after three years work, were only the first steps in what would be a long and winding road to find new drugs that would finally win the battle against cancers and other killers. "It will probably be many years before we see new drugs from plants such as curry leaves in a prescription from a doctor's surgery. But it is clear that herbal remedies must be treated with greater respect than they often have been in the past". He speaks from a western standpoint of course, given that, in the East, such remedies have had that respect for centuries. And the research team's findings come with a note of caution from other sources. For example, Professor Edzard Ernst, who is a researcher in complementary medicine, said that it is important that people understand that clinical trials had yet to be carried out on the new plant extracts. "This new research needs independent confirmation." He said, and added: "I think it is very encouraging and if everything goes well, we could see something definite in five years or so".
Of course, some people would argue that there already is definite proof
that Asian plants and spices work. Take turmeric for example: certain
scientists are already convinced that the lower rates of leukaemia,
a kind of cancer, throughout South Asia are due to diet, and, specifically,
to the use of turmeric. This is because the spice is an anti-oxidant
and so will protect against chemicals in the environment that damage
DNA. Also, the compound that gives turmeric its yellow colour, has been
shown to stop leukaemia cells multiplying. All in all, pretty impressive
evidence, and given the accepted health benefits of an assortment of
other herbs and spices used in Asian cooking, like garlic, cloves and
coriander, then it seems more than sensible to keep eating curries.
But you probably didn't need any encouragement anyway, did you?
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