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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Diet, Genomics and Immunology Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #147320
Title: CHROMIUM, CINNAMON & TEA AS INSULIN POTENTIATORS & ANTIOXIDANTS

Author
item Anderson, Richard
item Polansky, Marilyn
item MIRSKY, NITSA - UNIV.HAIFA, ISRAEL
item ROUSSEL, ANNE MARIE - UNIV.JOSE.FOURIER,FR

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/26/2003
Publication Date: 11/18/2003
Citation: Anderson, R.A., Polansky, M.M., Mirsky, N., Roussel, A. 2003. Chromium, cinnamon & tea as insulin potentiators & antioxidants [abstract]. Paper No. 026.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Dietary factors that may be the most likely to elicit the largest effects on controlling glucose intolerance and diabetes are factors that function not only as potentiators of insulin action but also antioxidants. We have demonstrated that three dietary components that are both insulin potentiators and antioxidants are chromium, cinnamon and tea. Insulin potentiating forms of chromium are well documented to serve as potentiators of insulin and recent studies have also demonstrated that chromium functions as an antioxidant in animal studies and in human subjects with type 2 DM. Water soluble polyphenol components from cinnamon have also been shown recently to not only potentiate insulin activity several-fold but we now have evidence that these compounds also function as antioxidants. The antioxidant activity of the cinnamon compounds was as good or better than any of the antioxidant compounds tested including vitamin C, L-cysteine, glutathione, N-acetylcysteine and -carotene using the ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay. The antioxidant properties of tea catechins are well established with the largest effects of epigallocatechin gallate. We recently reported that tea catechins also enhance insulin function with the largest effects of epigallocatechin gallate. In summary, Cr, water-soluble cinnamon polyphenols and tea catechins all function to not only improve insulin sensitivity but also alleviate oxidative stress and therefore may all be important in the prevention and alleviation of glucose intolerance and diabetes.