THE END OF DIABETES?
“Harmine (one of the components of Ayahuasca) is the first compound capable of replicating human cells that produce insulin at levels that can have a therapeutic impact”
Andrew Stewart, lead author of the study and director of the Mount Sinai Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.
‘THE CONFIDENTIAL’ NEWS, Health.
11 Mar 2015 – 10:08 PM
From time to time, traditional medicine offers doctors and patients who have doubted their wisdom sound teachings. This time the surprise is hidden in one of the sacred plants of the Colombian indigenous tradition: Ayahuasca or Yagé (Banisteriopsis Caapi).
A team of scientists from the famous Mount Sinai school of medicine in New York believe that this plant, as well as the Harmal plant of the Middle East (Peganum harmala), also known as Syrian rue, hide a substance in their chemical composition that could cure diabetes. This disease (diabetes type 1 and 2) affects around 350 million people around the world and until now there is no curative treatment.
Diabetes is caused mainly by the malfunction of beta cells located in the pancreas. When these cells stop producing insulin, the body can not control the levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood, which leads to a general imbalance in the metabolism. Patients first experience symptoms such as blurred vision, excessive thirst, weight loss and frequent urination, later suffering more serious problems, such as eye damage, nerve damage and kidney damage. The chances of suffering heart attacks or strokes increase dramatically.
The group at Mount Sinai decided to go in search of a molecule capable of stimulating the replication of beta cells in the pancreas. This therapeutic approach has been attempted for years, but until now the cells have been recalcitrant to these efforts. Around 100,000 molecules entered the list that the researchers decided to test in mouse and human cell models.
99.9% of the molecules were discarded at the end of the experiment, the results of which were published in the journal Nature Medicine. But in that haystack they found a needle. Harmine, hidden in Ayahuasca and the Harmal plant, was able to triple the number of beta cells.
“Although we still have a lot of work to do to improve the specificity and potency of Harmine and its related compounds, we believe these results represent a key step towards a more effective future treatment against diabetes,” said Andrew Stewart in a statement. Author and Head of the study, and Director of the Institute of Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism of Mount Sinai.
“Harmine is the first compound capable of replicating human insulin-producing cells at levels that can have a therapeutic impact,” Spanish biologist Adolfo García Ocaña, co-author of the study, told El País.
Previous work had already shown that the administration of Harmine to obese mice resulted in a reduction of blood glucose, free fatty acids, triglycerides and improved insulin sensitivity.
However, the task is not complete and it will take a great effort to convert this compound into a drug that reaches patients who need it.
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Yagé, promise against diabetes
A substance present in this traditional plant could cure the disease that affects 380 million people.
https://www.elespectador.com/noticias/salud/yage-promesa-contra-diabetes-articulo-548866