Ginger for Diabetes Control

Researchers at the University of Sydney have found that ginger, which is a common flavoured spice in Indian kitchens, has the potential to control blood sugar by muscle cells. Basil Roufogalis, professor of pharmaceutical chemistry and lead researcher in the study said that ginger extracts that were obtained from Buderim Ginger can raise the glucose uptake into muscle cells without using insulin.



Roufogalis further said that this study can be helpful for long-term diabetic patients in the management of their soaring blood glucose levels (diabetes) that are a threat to health as they may cause severe health complications and may also allow cells to function independently without insulin.


The components present in the ginger rhizome that are responsible for uptake of glucose by cells are gingerols, the major phenolic components.  Under normal conditions, glucose clearance occurs in the skeletal muscle. One fraction of the whole ginger rhizomes extracts obtained from Buderim Ginger is superbly effective in re-inducing glucose uptake. Moreover, gingerols resulted in increased surface distribution of GLUT4, the protein.