Flavanols derived from apples contain phloridzin

People who suffer from type II diabetes often experience increasing levels of blood glucose. This may be due to impaired insulin production or resistance which prevents the absorption of glucose into cells. The Glycaemic Index (GI) is a ranking of foods based on their overall effect on blood glucose levels. Slowly absorbed foods have a low GI rating, whilst foods that are more quickly absorbed will have a higher rating. This is important because choosing slowly absorbed carbohydrates helps to even out blood glucose levels when you have diabetes. When blood glucose levels fluctuate, the glucose concentration rapidly undershoots which causes hunger and sugar craving. This vicious circle contributes to accelerated weight gain and exacerbated type II diabetes.

Phloridzin present in apples helps to mediate glucose absorption through the small intestine by partially blocking the SGLT1 co-transporter. Phloridzin also mediates glucose renal reabsorption by blocking of the SGLT2 co-transporter enzyme. SGLT2 blocking is currently the main focus of type II diabestes pharmaceutical research. This is because SGLT2 accounts for about 90% of glucose reabsorption in the kidneys compared to SGLT1 which accounts for about 10% glucose absoprtion through the small intestine. Clearly then a pharmaceutical agent selectively operating on the SGLT2 co-transporter is more cost-effective.

To learn more about type I and type II diabetes, watch this video...

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