Clinical hypoglycemic effects of Allium cepa [red onion] in type 1 diabetic patients

ABSTRACT

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is an autoimmune disease caused by destruction of pancreatic islet beta cells and characterized by defect in insulin secretion. The present study was carried out to investigate the hypoglycemic effects of Allium cepa in patients with type 1 diabetic patients. In the assessment of the hypoglycaemic activity of Allium cepa in type 1 diabetic patients [n=21], crude Allium cepa [100 g] caused a considerably lowered value in the fasting blood glucose levels by about 89 mg/dl in relation to insulin [145 mg/dl] after 4 hours. Also the ingestion of crude Allium cepa by type 1 diabetic patients produced a significant reduction in the induced hyperglycemia [GTT] by about 120 mg/dl in relation to water [77 mg/dl] and the standard drug insulin [153 mg/dl]. Crude Allium cepa produced hypoglycemic effects, thus it could be used as a dietary supplement in management of diabetes