New Zealand study offers exercise hope to diabetes sufferers

New Zealand researchers believe they might have made a breakthrough in the treatment of people with type 2 diabetes through exercise.

Exercise had been shown to improve the health of people with type 2 diabetes, but the benefits varied greatly between people -- a puzzle that Massey University researchers said they might have solved.

The researchers from Massey University said in a statement Monday they were studying whether a novel keratin-derived protein extract developed in New Zealand could enhance the benefits of exercise in people with type 2 diabetes.

Research officer Dr Martin Gram said the results so far were promising, with one participant claiming to be sleeping better, be more alert and concentrating better, while another had seen "a massive drop" in sugar levels.

Four of the eight participants who had completed the study had seen their sugar levels drop so far that they were no longer qualified to be considered type 2 diabetic.

The reason for the beneficial effects might be caused by the unique amino acid and mineral composition of the protein, which might protect the body's tissues through anti-oxidant mechanisms, said Gram.

"Ingestion of the keratin protein may help diabetics lower blood glucose levels. Consequently, the study will provide an opportunity to assess this promising practical, natural and non-drug intervention for diabetic therapy," he said.

About 7 percent of New Zealanders have type 2 diabetes, and prevalence of the disease is expected to increase.

Diabetes results from a reduced ability of the body's tissue to take glucose (sugar) out of the blood stream, which eventually leads to increased risk of eye or kidney damage as well as cardiovascular disease. Endit