In diabetics, Pycnogenol improved eye health and vision, doctors explain why low levels of vitamin D raise chances of heart disease, and omega-3s improved kidney function, three new studies reveal.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health reports that nearly half of those with diabetes have poor eye health. In a Pycnogenol study, 46 long-term diabetics with well-controlled blood sugar took 150 mg of Pycnogenol per day or a placebo. After two months, while the placebo group did not improve, 75 percent in the Pycnogenol group reported better eyesight, which doctors confirmed with a vision test. Researchers also found less retinal swelling and improved blood flow in the capillaries that nourish light-sensing cells.
In a lab study, doctors said that certain immune cells, called macrophages, need vitamin D to break down cholesterol, and that diabetics are often deficient in D, raising chances of cardiovascular trouble. Researchers took blood samples from 91 diabetics and placed their macrophages in a culture with or without vitamin D, and then exposed the cells to oxidized LDL cholesterol. When there was no vitamin D in the culture, the macrophages absorbed too much LDL, becoming cholesterol-filled “foam” cells, which can be the building blocks of arterial plaques. When vitamin D was present, the macrophages absorbed and broke down LDL properly.
Doctors in an omega-3 study said diabetics often have poor kidney function, and wanted to measure creatinine, a waste product eliminated by the kidneys. Researchers gave 97 type 2 diabetics 1,680 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) plus 1,000 mg of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day or a placebo. After 12 weeks, while the placebo group had not improved, the omega-3 group had much lower blood levels of creatinine, meaning their kidneys were functioning better.