Oral Administration of Garlic Compounds May Treat Diabetes

Filed in archive Drugs, Vaccines and Therapeutics on November 25, 2008

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Previous studies have shown that an injection of vanadium and allaxin, a compound found in garlic, could treat both type 1 and 2 diabetes in mice. A new study indicates that oral administration of these compounds works just as well, particularly in type-1 diabetic mice.

The new study looked primarily at how the allixin complex works. By examining the effects of the complex on genes affected by diabetes, the researchers found that it activates not only the insulin signalling cascade, which regulates glucose metabolism, but also an enzyme that helps cells to absorb glucose.