The substance can be administered orally, and may work for both types of diabetes.
A study by the Department of Biology at Haifa University has discovered a substance, which it claims can be used to treat diabetes, and which can be administered orally, as opposed to insulin which is given by injection. The substance, called "Glucose Tolerance Factor", is made from yeast extract and was found in trials on diabetic rats to be effective in reducing glucose and triglyceride levels. The department has not yet begun trials on human subjects and will need further funding to continue its research.
According to Dr. Nitza Mirsky, who led the research, the substance can be used to treat both type I and type II diabetes. "The advantage with our treatment is that it is natural and can be administered orally in either liquid or capsule form. Our trials found that it reduced glucose and triglyceride levels in subjects with type II diabetes and had a genuine anti diabetic effect," she said.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on December 24, 2007
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