A study by Australian researchers has found that the humble sea cucumber may contain key ingredients that delay the onset of type 2 diabetes and reduce the complications brought about by the disease.
Asian people long ago cottoned on to the health benefits of the sea cucumber, a distant relative of the starfish. As a testament to its medicinal properties, the Chinese even call the gelatinous creature hai shen, which roughly translates as “sea ginseng.”
Previous research into sea cucumbers has found that they can thin the blood, lower blood pressure, and have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-cancer and wound-healing properties. Now, researchers at the University of South Australia have explored whether the active ingredients in sea cucumbers can prevent type 2 diabetes.
When proteins and/or fats combine with sugars in the bloodstream in a process called glycation, they produce harmful advanced glycation end products (AGEs). High levels of AGEs have been associated with heart disease, kidney failure and Alzheimer’s disease. Diabetics are at higher risk of producing too many AGEs, which can build up in the body.
“We know that accumulation of AGEs is associated with complications of type 2 diabetes, so strategies to prevent this may reduce the risk of developing diabetic complications,” said Permal Deo, corresponding author of the study. “Sea cucumbers are known to have a range of therapeutic properties, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, so we wanted to explore their bioactive compounds as AGE inhibitors.”
The researchers took one species of sea cucumber, Holothuria scabra, or sandfish, and, after cooking them, processed them in different ways: sun-dried with no salt, sun-dried with salt, and sun-dried and smoked. Each preparation was made into a powder. The researchers extracted collagen from the sea cucumbers, which was added to each preparation.
They found that the sun-dried, salted sea cucumber plus collagen caused the strongest inhibition of AGEs, indicating that how the sea cucumber is prepared is crucial to unlocking its medicinal properties.
“We found processed dried sea cucumber with salt extracts and collagen can significantly inhibit AGEs by lowering a range of sugar-related metabolites in the body and reducing the risk of diabetes,” Deo said.
According to Diabetes Australia, up to 58% of cases of type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed by maintaining a healthy weight, being physically active and eating a healthy diet.
The researchers say Holothuria scabra could be a promising source of natural antioxidant and antiglycation agents that could be used as a way of delaying the onset of type 2 diabetes.
“These results provide sound evidence that sea cucumbers could be developed as a functional food product to help battle the onset of diabetes and diabetic complications,” said Deo.
The study was published in the journal Institute of Food Science and Technology.
Source: University of South Australia