Managing Diabetes and its Complications Through Traditional African Dietary Intervention

Africa, 2.2-6.7%. Insulin and other hypoglycemic drugs are expensive. The improvement of many African economies into middle-income status is associated with an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and increased prevalence of diabetes. Many of the traditional dietary preparation known to ameliorate diabetes and other chronic diseases have been abandoned for westernized foods. Reverting to original/traditional diets may be an answer to addressing the diabetes pandemics. Free fatty acids have been reported to impair insulin action, Dietary fat composition has been implicated in the development of insulin resistance as well as fasting hyperglycaemia and type 2 diabetes mellitus. This study has shown the benefits of consuming vegetable oils on the management of diabetes in diabetic mice. Diet fortified with non-refined red palm oil, (Elaeis guineensis), groundnut oil (Arachis hypogaea) and coconut oil (Cocos nucifera) have been shown to have a hypoglycemic effect. Insulin and other hypoglycaemic drugs are expensive. A paradigm shift, back to traditional diets using these vegetables and vegetable oils in appropriate proportions and good calorific value would help to reduce the requirement of insulin and other hypoglycemic drugs.