Biochemical Effects of Some Traditional Nigerian Diets in Experimental Diabetic Rat Models.

Diet, besides its simplicity and affordability, has been clinically recommended as the first line of intervention in type 2 diabetes. However, compliance with the so-called diabetic diet has been notoriously poor, mostly because the social and cultural aspects of eating as well as the degree of difficulty involved in entrenching permanent changes in diet have greatly been underestimated. The present study therefore evaluated the suitability of some traditional Nigerian diets namely Garri with afang soup (GAS), pounded yam with edikang ikong soup (PYES) and ekpang nkukwo (EN) in alloxan diabetic rats. 15-day feeding with GAS and PYES respectively reduced (P<0.05) fasting blood glucose by 25.61% and 25.19%, compared to the reference diet, plantain with beans (37.22%). The glucose lowering effect of EN was however, not significant. Except GAS, the effect of the test diets on serum lipid profile was similar and comparable to the reference diet. Further, the impact on serum biochemical indices - β-carotene, total protein, albumin, urea and creatinine, though not dramatic, was not different from the reference diet, except serum β-carotene that was higher in the reference diet-fed animals than others (P<0.05). Taken together, these results suggest that the studied diets, can potentially offer the patients the needed dietary diversification in diabetes management.

Hypoglycaemic Effect and Proximate Composition of Some Selected Nigerian Traditional Diets Used in Management of Diabetes Mellitus.

Selected traditional Nigerian diets: Garri with afang soup, pounded yam with edikang ikong soup and ekpang nkukwo alongside a reference diet, plantain with beans porridge, were investigated for their efficacy for use in management of diabetes mellitus. The proximate composition of the diets was analysed using standard methods and thereafter fed to alloxanized rats for 15 days, while monitoring the changes in weight and blood glucose. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) results was significantly reduced (p<0.05) (initial and final) upon feeding garri with afang soup (25.61%) and pounded yam with edikang ekong soup (25.19%) relative to the diabetic control (5.19%). These reductions compared well with the reference diet, although its extent of glycaemic control was higher (37.22%). Body and relative liver weight changes over the period animals received the traditional diets were not significantly different (p>0.05) from that of the reference diet. Whereas the proximate composition components including crude proteins, fibre, ash and carbohydrate were not significantly different (p>0.05) compared to the reference diet; only crude fat and hence caloric value was significantly higher (p<0.05) in reference diet compared to the three traditional diets. From the results of this investigation, it is clear that the traditional diets studied can be effective in glycaemic control, hence could serve as effective substitutes for plantain with beans, usually recommended by health care givers.