Therapeutic Effect of Sunflower Seeds and Flax Seeds on Diabetes

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a metabolic syndrome that is spreading like an epidemic throughout the world without any differentiation of races and ethnic groups and has become the cause of death worldwide. It is characterized by high levels of glucose in the blood and has different types classified on the basis of varying pathophysiology. Type 1 diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes is characterized by insulin insufficiency due to autoimmune dysfunction. Type 2 diabetes or non-insulin-dependent diabetes results from the combination of resistance to insulin action or/and inadequate insulin secretion. Gestational diabetes (GDM) is defined as hyperglycemia due to insulin resistance during pregnancy. Other types include the monogenic type of DM such as neonatal diabetes mellitus (NDM), maturity-onset diabetes of young (MODY), and diabetes in metabolic syndrome. Diabetes is diagnosed by criteria given by American Diabetes Association (ADA) for different tests like fasting plasma glucose test and hemoglobin A1c test. It is characterized by polydipsia, polyphagia, hyperglycemia, and glucosuria. Diabetes mellitus is managed through medications but many studies have proven that consumption of particular foods leads to decreased glucose levels in diabetic patients. Seeds like sunflower and flax seeds have a role in the reduction of glucose levels and can be used to treat type 2 diabetes. The bioactive components in these seeds like chlorogenic acid in sunflower seeds and secoisolariciresinol diglucosoid are involved in the treatment of insulin resistance or insulin production. In different studies, different amounts of these seed extracts were consumed by rats and humans and it resulted in better glycemic control, which provides information that these seeds have anti-diabetic properties.

Superfoods for Type 2 Diabetes: A Narrative Review and Proposal for New International Recommendations

“…The bioactive components of sunflower seeds (chlorogenic acid) and flaxseeds (secoisolariciresinol diglucosoid) can improve insulin resistance and insulin production [ 38 ].…”

Helianthus Annuus Seed Hydro-Alcoholic Extract Chemical Composition and Effects on Body Weight and Blood Parameters among Iraqi Patients Suffering from Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

“…The antidiabetic effect of H. annuus hydroalcoholic extract was exhibited in Choudhary study (12). In a study by Adeleke Ojo, the leaf of H. annuus exhibited antidiabetic effect via inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase enzymes (13). The aim of this study was to assess the H. annuus seed extract effects on FBS, weight and body composition among patients with T2DM.…”

Insights into the Mechanism of Action of Helianthus annuus (Sunflower) Seed Essential Oil in the Management of Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Using Network Pharmacology and Molecular Docking Approaches

“…While these seeds are rich in oil (36-50%) [15] and contain largely unsaturated fatty acids [16,17], the plant and its parts are endowed with abundant pharmacological potential [18], including antioxidant [12], antimicrobial [19][20][21], and cytotoxic [21] effects attributed to its metabolites (flavonoids, phenolic acids, tocopherol, saponins, alkaloids, tannins, and terpenes) and/or several phytoconstituents [20]. Additionally, while the quantitative determination of the chemical contents of the various cultivars of the seeds has revealed 23 saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with linoleic acid being the most abundant [22,23], the antidiabetic effects of the plant seed have been established in a few reports [24] as, for example, recently reviewed by Rehman et al [25], though no study has reported the antidiabetic potential of the oilseed of the plant. Moreover, since the quality and therapeutic effectiveness are known as factors which determine the oilseed's ability to lower blood cholesterol and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, among others, it is important to study the therapeutic role the inherent phytoconstituents play in exhibiting or being responsible for these effects, particularly against T2D as well as the molecular mechanisms underlying their action.…”