A new study published in Chemical Research in Toxicology showed two ginger compounds— gingerols and shogaols—may be effective at stopping physiological processes that lead to diabetic complications (2015;28(9):1842-49).
Considerable evidence suggests long-term pathological diabetes is a result of the accumulation of tissue macromolecules that have been progressively modified by nonenzymatic glycation of protein. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is a highly reactive endogenous dicarbonyl metabolite derived from multiple sources such as glucose and lipids and is thought to contribute greatly to protein glycation—a process where protein and glucose interact, interfering with the function of protein in the body—and the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs).
In the current study, researchers investigated the ability of these two compounds to prevent the formation of AGEs by trapping MGO. Research shows diabetics are found to have two to six times the level of MGOs in their blood than non-diabetics. Although AGEs are part of the aging process, their damaging impacts are accelerated by high blood sugar. The reason they are dangerous is because they accumulate in organs, contributing to the development of insulin resistance and diabetic complications.
The research showed in vitro that within an hour both ginger compounds “trapped" 80 percent of the MGOs present, forming the less reactive and harmful compounds mono-MGO adducts, 6S-MGO, and 6G-MGO. They found the ability of these compounds to trap MGOs and prevent cellular damage began an hour after exposure and lasted up to six days in vitro.