Benefits of Insulin Resistance Diet Rich in Antioxidants

The benefits derived from antioxidants are well known. They heal your body and help keep it looking and fooling younger. They fight free radicals and slow down the aging process. But a preliminary study conducted in Italy has shown that antioxidants have a major impact on insulin resistance.

Antonio Mancini is an endocrinology researcher and has studied the effects of dietary choices on one’s health and hormonal secretions. He divided test subjects into 4 groups A,B,C and D. Al groups received a similar based Mediterranean diet with about 1500 calories daily. Only 25% of the caloric intake was from protein foods, the rest of the diet being composed of low-glycemic-index carbohydrates, like whole grain foods.

Added to this base diet were the foods which separated the groups. Group A only ate the base diet whit no modifications. Group B had the same diet like group B but also took the drug metformin (a diabetes drug prescribed especially to obese type II diabetes sufferers as long as they have healthy kidney functions).

Group C was given a diet rich in antioxidants with an average intake of 0.8g to 1g of antioxidants per day. The same diet was prescribed to group D but scientists also gave them metformin.

The results were something like this:

All the groups lost weight, a similar amount of weight. But when it came to insulin resistance, only groups C and D showed promising results. These groups should an increase in sensitivity towards insulin. This way the Italian scientists managed to prove the importance of antioxidants for a insulin resistance diet.

Foods that naturally contain antioxidants and are vegetables and fruits, nuts and legumes. Most of the aliments which contain antioxidants also contain vitamins C and E, selenium and beta carotene.

In response to possible critics accusing risky high dosages of antioxidants, scientists took every precaution to ensure the test subjects wellbeing. Also the subjects reported no adverse effects form the high levels of antioxidants. Also doctor Mancin stated that .8g and 1g of antioxidants is not even near the possible human tolerance limit and that they could even increase dosage in future studies without risk.