You may have heard that when people with Type 2 diabetes undergo gastric bypass surgery, their diabetes is often cured, even before they have lost any weight.
This is because the surgery evidently removes a portion of the gut that is not responding correctly when exposed to glucose.
The problem is, not everyone with Type 2 qualifies for the surgery and even if they do, most opt not to pursue it.
So researchers at Brigham and Women’s in Boston decided to try to find a non invasive treatment for Type 2 diabetes that would have the same effect as surgery.
They engineered a form of a common medication called sucralfate that’s used to provide a protective coating to help heal stomach ulcers. Instead of coating the stomach, this new form coats the intestine.
They call this new compound LuCI, for Luminal Coating of the Intestine.
When tested on rats, they found that an hour after LuCI was given to them, their response to glucose decreased by 47 percent. And the good thing is that the result was temporary, only lasting about 3 hours. You wouldn’t want it to last permanently because it could potentially interfere with absorption of other nutrients.
Research is still ongoing, but the study authors hope that one day it will become an easy, effective, and side-effect free, treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
This is Joan Trimble wishing you wellness.