In a bit of very exciting health news that was first reported last week, researchers at Newcastle University have found that an extremely low-calorie diet can cure type-II diabetes in just two months. This amazing information gives new hope to the many diabetes sufferers who assumed the disease to be a lifelong affliction. It also supports the belief that the body’s failure to secrete insulin is caused by a build-up of fat in the pancreas and liver. These fat levels were shown to be reduced in study participants, seven out of eleven of whom were free of diabetes three months after the conclusion of the diet.
That diet consisted of an intake of only 600 calories per day, maintained over eight weeks. To achieve this, the participants were kept on a diet consisting mostly of liquids, along with non-starchy vegetables. The specific menu for the former diabetes patients is not known, but it is clear from the overall findings and an assessment of the nutritional information for bamboo shoots that those particular vegetables would be an excellent option for anyone trying to emulate this diabetes-curing, crash-course diet, or just for anyone hoping to maintain a diet that may prevent or help manage diabetes.
With only forty-one calories per one-cup serving, raw bamboo shoots can help a person to achieve a dramatic reduction in caloric intake if made a significant part of one’s diet. Doing so is quite feasible, since many of the calories in bamboo come from carbohydrates, providing the basic nutritional energy needed by the body for its day-to-day activities. Sugars are, of course, the very source of trouble for diabetics, but they are necessarily part of any diet, and so it is important to derive them from healthful sources, which do not bring fat, cholesterol, or starches along with the simple carbohydrates. This means fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and bamboo shoots are a good example. If the consumption of sugars in bamboo is evenly spaced and regulated, one can help the body to maintain blood-glucose levels and avoid sudden spikes or deficiencies.
In addition to offering energy through few calories without undesirable contents like fat and cholesterol, bamboo has the added benefit of being a terrific source of dietary fiber, which is a recommended component of a diabetes diet, as it helps to control blood sugar levels. Among the many minerals contained in bamboo, it provides 4.5 milligrams of magnesium per serving. If this is augmented by other low-calorie sources of the same nutrient, or by supplements, it can be of further benefit in preventing or potentially reversing diabetes. A high magnesium intake is associated with reducing the risk of diabetes by about half.
Diabetes afflicts 25.8 million people in the United States, which is more than eight percent of the population. It is vitally and increasingly important to be vigilant in preventing and combating this disease, and it is thrilling to know that it can be cured. And for the sake of either staving off or reversing diabetes, bamboo offers a versatile and tasty option for part of a diet that is low in calories, starches, and fats, and high in vitamins and minerals like magnesium. Bamboo shoots are not just good for diabetes, but good for health over all, and they represent just one of many extraordinary uses to be found in an extraordinary resource. In bamboo you’ll find food, building material, paper, and clothing, and all of them high quality and sustainable, and good for both the consumer and the Earth.
For delicious bamboo recipes, visit Green Earth News’ Bamboo Flavors section!
