Can Carrots Treat Type 2 Diabetes? Here's What Study Says

It is the winter season, a perfect time to munch on carrots. But did you know carrots are way more than just for munching? It can actually benefit your health if you live with type 2 diabetes.

In a news release from the South Denmark University, the professor of analytical chemistry at the school's department of Physics, Chemistry, and Pharmacy, Lars Porskjær Christensen, said, ""We see carrots as a potential component of future dietary strategies for type 2 diabetes."

Are there any studies that confirm?

Published in the journal Clinical and Translational Science, the scientists used a mouse model to discover that the bioactive compounds in carrots may enhance the body's ability to regulate blood sugar and positively influence the composition of gut bacteria.

The research team also studied how the nutrients in a starchy vegetable triggers metabolic effects. The study was conducted for over 16 weeks, where the researchers studied the effects of carrots using mice induced with type 2 diabetes.

In order to draw parallels with a typical, unhealthy human lifestyle, the mice were placed on a high-fat diet and divided into two groups: one group received a diet supplemented with 10% freeze-dried carrot powder, while the other did not receive any carrots in their diet. So, the major difference between their diets was the bioactive compound in the carrots.

What did the study find?

The study used glucose tolerance tests as a measuring unit to determine that the carrot powder group of mice actually showed improved blood sugar regulation. This is true as the bioactive compounds in carrots enhance cells' ability to absorb sugar, thus, it helps with the blood sugar regulation.

In fact, there's more. Consuming carrots also shift the gut bacteria towards a healthier balance.

What did the researcher say?

Our study showed that adding carrots to the diet altered the composition of the gut microbiome," said Christensen, while referring to the billions of microorganisms that live in the gut, playing crucial role in digestion and health.

So, is it true? Can carrots really help humans? While the finding in mice may indicate towards it, the researchers are still cautious whether to directly apply the findings on humans. What they now wait for is more funding to pursue further research that will demonstrates the power of carrots on people.

If carrots show the same results in humans, it can actually benefit a lot of people living in the US. As per the American Diabetes Association, in 2021, 11.6% of the population, or 38.4 million Americans had diabetes. Of them, 29.7 million were diagnosed, while 8.7 were undiagnosed. Thus, there is hope that the findings will lead to a way to enhance the lifestyle, and support the existing diabetes medications.

How to consume the carrots?

Researches have suggested to do very little to prepare carrots before eating. This is because cooking impacts the amount of health-promoting substances, though they do not entirely disappear. However, raw or lightly cooked (read boiled) carrots are the best option to retain as many beneficial compounds as possible.