Bör ingefära användas som komplement till läkemedelsbehandling vid diabetes typ 2?

Sammanfattning: Ginger belongs to the family of Zingiberaceae and has been utilized by mankind since ancient times to cure the common cold, headaches, nausea and stomach ache. Scientific studies have shown that ginger possess anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antioxidative, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective and diuretic characteristics. Newly conducted studies have indicated that ginger also has antidiabetic effects. Ginger contains several substances and two of these are the enolic compounds gingerol and shogaol which may contribute to gingers antidiabetic effect. Diabetes type 2 is a condition where the pancreas can´t produce a sufficient amount of insulin, mainly due to insulin resistance. Increased blood glucose levels can eventually damage both large and small blood vessels which increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis. When the small blood vessels are damaged it can affect the blood supply to the eyes, kidneys and various parts of the nervous system. This could lead to reduced vision, kidney failure and decreased blood circulation. Firsthand treatment for type 2 diabetes is lifestyle changes which include dietary changes, increased exercise/activity and weight loss. When this isn’t enough oral medication, that stimulate the pancreas insulin production and increases the tissues sensitivity to insulin, is given. The purpose of this report is to answer the question: Can ginger be used as a complement to pharmaceutical treatment of diabetes type 2? This is a literature study where Pubmed and Google Scholar were used to search for scientific studies about gingers effect on patients with diabetes type 2. The result showed that ginger has a hypoglycemic effect in patients with type 2 diabetes. This effect seems to be dependent on dosage. Ginger seems to affect insulin resistance and insulin sensitivity in a positive way. The result also shows that ginger affect blood lipids, this result varied in the different studies, but conclusively it showed that it could decrease triglycerides and low density lipoprotein. It can occur a mild chronic inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes. Ginger is known to be anti-inflammatory which can be considered an antidiabetic effect. The result in this study shows that some inflammatory markers decrease in patients with diabetes type 2. Despite different results all the studies in this report show that ginger has several antidiabetic effects. Ginger seems to have a positive effect on blood glucose levels, insulin resistance, blood lipids and inflammation. So to answer the question: Can ginger be used as a complement to pharmaceutical treatment of diabetes type 2? Yes, ginger seems to contribute to a antidiabetic effect and would be an good addition to the regular treatment of a patient with diabetes type 2.