Grape Pomace Helps Prevent Post-Meal Blood Sugar Spikes

If you’re one of the millions of Americans dealing with type 2, or adult onset, diabetes, your doctor has probably talked to you about the dramatic blood spikes that often follow a meal. Known as postprandial hyperglycemia, the medical condition caused by these spikes can, if not treated properly, lead to a number of potentially serious diabetes complications.

Now, a team of American and Chinese researchers say that a byproduct of the wine industry—a product known as grape pomace—contains compounds that help prevent some of those spikes. And the effect seems to be surprisingly powerful. In one part of their study the reduction was as much as 35%.

This was an animal study so it’s unclear if these effects will carry over into humans but the results have the scientists behind this research hopeful.

Grape pomace is the “stuff” left over after grapes are crushed during the early stages of wine making. The pomace contains the seeds, skin and pulp of the grapes; it may also contain small stems and leaves. While the pomace can actually be further processed (and can even be used to make something known as pomace brandy) most of it is simply discarded as a waste product.

Source:
Hogan, S., et al. (2010). Antioxidant rich grape pomace extract suppresses postprandial hyperglycemia in diabetic mice by specifically inhibiting alpha-glucosidase. Nutrition & Metabolism. (Provisional PDF.)