Asparagus, garlic could help keep obesity at bay

LONDON - Eating vegetables like asparagus, garlic and artichokes could help keep obesity and diabetes at bay.

Scientists are trying to figure out whether a fibre-rich diet can suppress hunger and improve one’s ability to control blood sugar levels.

Foods like garlic, chicory, asparagus and artichokes are known as fermentable carbohydrates, believed to activate the release of gut hormones that reduce appetite, reports the Telegraph.

They also enhance sensitivity to insulin - the hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter the body’s cells, thereby leading to better glucose control.

Charity Diabetes UK is now funding research into the health benefits of such foods. If proved to be effective, the findings could revolutionise treatments for obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Nicola Guess, dietitian at Imperial College, London, who is leading the three-year study, said: “By investigating how appetite and blood glucose levels are regulated in people at high risk of Type 2 diabetes, it is hoped that we can find a way to prevent its onset.

There are 2.35 million people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in Britain alone, and a further half a million sufferers who are unaware that they have the condition.

If left untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to complications such as kidney failure, heart disease, stroke and amputation.

Research by the University of Leicester, published last week, suggests that eating green leafy vegetables could help cut the risk of type 2 diabetes.

The vegetables are rich in antioxidants and magnesium, which has been linked to lower levels of diabetes.