Weight gain and diabetes may have a foe in the wild almond tree. A new study shows that sterculic oil, extracted from the seeds of the wild almond tree Sterculia foetida, could prove helpful in fighting both the obesity epidemic and diabetes.
Researchers from Missouri University of Science and Technology found that the addition of wild almond tree oil in the diets of obese lab mice lowered levels of certain microorganisms in the mice, helping to increase their sensitivity to insulin. The results found big improvements in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity — two issues that plague individuals that are obese, prediabetic, or diabetic. While the mice fed with sterculic oil did not experience conclusive weight loss, study leader Shreya Ghosh hopes their findings will prove to be helpful in controling diabetes and weight gain in the future.
