Konjac-mannan and American ginsing: Emerging alternative therapies for type 2 diabetes mellitus

Despite significant achievements in treatment modalities and preventive mea sures, the prevalence of diabetes has risen exponentially in the last decad e. Because of these limitations there is a continued need for new and more effective therapies. An increasing number of people are using dietary and h erbal supplements, even though there is a general lack of evidence for thei r safety and efficacy. Consequently, science based medical and government r egulators are calling for more randomized clinical studies to provide evide nce of efficacy and safety. Our research group has selected two such promis ing and functionally complementary therapies for further investigation as p otentially emerging alternative therapies for type 2 diabetes: Konjac-manna n (KJM) and American ginseng (AG). We have generated a mounting body of evi dence to support the claim that rheologically-selected, highly-viscous KJM, and AG with a specific composition may be useful in improving diabetes con trol. reducing associated risk factors such as hyperlipidemia and hypertens ion, and ameliorating insulin resistance. KJM has a demonstrated ability to modulate the rate of absorption of nutrients from the small bowel. whereas AG has post-absorptive effects. Consequently, it appears that KJM and AG a re acting through different. yet complementary, mechanisms: KJM by increasi ng insulin sensitivity and AG likely by enhancing insulin secretion. Before the therapeutic potential of KJM and AG as novel prandial agents for treat ment of diabetes can be fully realized, further controlled trials with larg er sample sizes and of longer duration are required. A determination of the active ingredients in AG, and the theology-biology relationship of KJM are also warranted.