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These are some of the possibilities coming out of a Hebrew University [HU]–Harvard University team working on extracting naringenin, a compound from grapefruit, and using nanotechnology to make it into a complex absorbed 11-times better than normal. The research is led by Dr. Yaakov Nahmias and Maria Shulman, his graduate student.
They have isolated the molecule that creates the bitter taste in grapefruits. If developed as a dietary supplement, it could change the way our bodies deal with fat and sugar. The studies hold significant implications for the drug market, particularly in relation to diabetes, obesity, arteriosclerosis, and even hepatitis C.
Nahmias explained how, under regular conditions, the absorption of naringenin is quite low. You'd have to ingest a lot of grapefruits for it to work. To improve absorption, the researchers applied nanotechnology tools and engineered a form of naringenin that includes an extra ring of sugar attached to the molecule. It is this extra ring that improves the absorption of naringenin and turns its bitter taste to sweet.
According to the researchers, this is the world's first dietary supplement that affects our body in a positive way as it reacts with the food we eat. The new complex is not a difficult pill to swallow; Nahmias predicts it could best be applied directly to food. But as a pill, it could potentially wipe a few other leading drug formulations off pharmacy shelves. It could be taken as a natural preventative measure against the buildup of lipids before cholesterol levels get high and even revolutionize the approach to the hepatitis C virus.
In earlier studies, the scientists found that one dose of their new molecule given to rats before a high-sugar and high-fat meal reduced the creation of “bad” cholesterol by 42%. “Instead of treating the symptoms, we are treating the cause. The cause is food. It all starts and ends with food, and the way our body reacts to it.” For information: [email protected]
Source: Excerpts of an article by Karin Kloosterman, www.israel21c.org
Photo Credit: www.israelimages.com
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