A Chinese medication may be able to aid in the prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy
If you or a loved one is living with Diabetes, there is no doubt that you have heard the term Diabetic Retinopathy.
For those of you who are not familiar with the term, it is a condition that can cause partial vision loss or complete blindness in people with diabetes. High blood sugar causes damage to blood vessels throughout the body, especially those that feed the vessels of the eye. Damage to the retina impairs the eyes’ ability to sense light and send signals to the brain. This condition is commonly not reversible which is why it is so important for people with diabetes to get their eyes checked annually.
A recent study in Taiwan showed that Scoparia Dulcis L. Extract (SDE) may be able to prevent this condition in people with diabetes.
Considered a weed in many areas of the world, it has been used as a medicinal herb with an extensive range of usages. Scoparia Dulcis extract has been found to be anti-inflammatory (lowering inflammation), anti-hyperlipidemia (lowering cholesterol), anti-diabetic (stabilizing blood sugars), and anti-oxidative (protection from damage caused by free radicals). The SDE is cost-effective and has very few side effects.
The study, which appeared in one of the May 2023 publications of Medical Dialogues, was conducted by treating high glucose in human epithelial cells with various concentrations of SDE. Analysis of the study showed that the usage of SDE reduced the number of reactive oxygen species and ARPE-19 cell death when in a high glucose environment.
After the study, researchers suggested that SDE be considered as a nutritional supplement. This supplement would not only aid in the prevention of diabetic retinopathy, but would also have additional benefits for people with diabetes.
By: Morgan Malatesta, IDS intern
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