Fig Extract Tempers Blood Sugar Surges

A standardized extract of figs—a fruit rich in a compound called abscisic acid (ABA)—can attenuate blood glucose surges following consumption of sugar-containing foods or beverages.

“ABA and its proposed receptor, the lanthionine synthase C-like protein 2 (LANCL2) are emerging as new important players in the physiology and in the dysfunction of mammalian glucose homeostasis and immunoregulation,” reported Elena Zocchi, of the Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Genoa.

Dr. Zocchi and colleagues, along with researchers at several US institutions, recently published a comprehensive review of current science on ABA and its potential as an adjunctive modality for glucose regulation.

“Low-dose ABA improves glucose tolerance in healthy subjects without increasing insulinemia, she writes, citing evidence from a study of 10 healthy volunteers at the University of Sydney’s Glycemic Index Research Service.

At doses of 100 or 200 mg dissolved in 250 mL of water, ABA markedly reduced both plasma glucose and plasma insulin responses to a bolus of 50 grams of glucose in 250 mL of water.