Benefits of Sea Cucumbers for Diabetics, Effectively Lowering Blood Sugar?

Sea cucumbers (holoturia) or often also called gamat is a marine biota that can be a source of protein. Animals included in echinoderms with the classification of the holothuroidea class, it is believed to be useful for controlling blood sugar in diabetics. Is this claim true? Check out the full review below.

Getting to Know Sea Cucumbers and Their Nutritional Content

Sea cucumbers are marine animals that don’t have backbones and live on the ocean floor. The shape of this animal is oval like a cucumber, but the color varies from gray, brown, black and green. While the texture is soft to the touch.

These marine animals have been used as a food source in Asia and the Middle East for centuries. These snail-like animals are used either fresh or dried for a variety of dishes. Sea cucumbers are commonly added to soups, stews and stir-fries.

Apart from being a food ingredient, sea cucumbers are usually used as medicinal ingredients, especially for diabetes, this is because of the various nutritional content in them

In 112 grams of sea cucumbers contained:

• Calories: 60.
• Protein: 14 grams.
• Fat: less than 1 gram.
• Vitamin A: 8% of the daily nutritional allowance (RDA).
• B2 (Riboflavin): 81% of RDA.
• B3 (Niacin): 22% of RDA.
• Magnesium: 4% of RDA.
• Calcium: 3% of RDA.

Also Read: Why Diabetics Must Regularly Check with the Doctor?

Potential Benefits of Sea Cucumbers for Diabetes

This marine animal is low in calories and fat but high in protein, making it a safe food for those of you who are running a weight loss program.

Adding a source of protein to meals and snacks can help keep you full by slowing stomach emptying.

Ultimately, satiety can help you eat less and stabilize blood sugar levels.

A study revealed that sea cucumbers can reduce the risk of amputation and irritation. However, this claim requires further research with a larger sample size.

Meanwhile, other studies have found that the content of saponin compounds found in marine invertebrates functions as an anti-diabetic agent. Saponins from marine animals are known to have activity as hypoglycemic agents or lowering blood sugar levels.

Saponins have been reported to reduce blood sugar levels in different mechanisms, such as insulin regeneration through increased plasma insulin levels and insulin release from the pancreas.

Research on the therapeutic potential of saponins that have been extracted from various species of sea cucumbers reveals that these compounds can also reduce complications of hyperglycemia.

The same thing was also conveyed by Dr. Ir. Ahkam Subroto, M. App. Sc from LIPI (Indonesian Institute of Sciences), he stated that sea cucumbers contain high protein up to 86% which is good for consumption by diabetics.

This protein can function to accelerate the regeneration of pancreatic beta cells that produce insulin. That way, insulin production also increases and blood glucose levels can decrease.

In the end, although sea cucumbers are beneficial for health, further research is still needed to ensure the benefits of sea cucumbers for diabetics. Hopefully this information is useful, Healthy Friends!

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