CHERRIES MAY HELP AGAINST DIABETES ...an article

[Guest guest]

CHERRIES MAY HELP AGAINST DIABETES Michigan State University researchers say chemicals abundant in cherries could help lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. In early laboratory studies using animal pan- creatic cells, the chemicals, called anthocyanins, increased insulin production by 50 percent, according to a study scheduled to appear in the Jan. 5 issue of the American Chemical Society's Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Anthocyanins are a class of plant pigments responsible for the color of many fruits, including cherries, which are potent antioxidants that have been increasingly associated with a variety of health benefits. "It is possible that consumption of cherries and other fruits containing these compounds could have a significant impact on insulin levels in humans," says study leader Muralee Nair.