Chemical Composition and the Effect of Walnut Hydrosol on Glycemic Control of Patients With Type 1 Diabetes

Abstract

BackgroundWalnut hydrosol (WH) is used extensively by Iranian people with diabetes in order to control blood sugar (BS). There are few data regarding the effect of walnut on controlling diabetes.ObjectivesA pilot study to determine the efficacy and safety of WH in patients with type 1 diabetes.Materials and MethodsEight patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) type 1 were enrolled in the study. They did not use any medicine except insulin. They were advised to drink 250 mL WH after meals twice a day for four weeks. Their BS level was measured and their insulin dose was changed according to their BS. After four weeks, they discontinued WH use and their BS level was checked for two weeks. Descriptive statistics was used to analyze the data. Also, the essential oil of the sample was extracted using a liquid extractor and then analysis of the constituents was performed.ResultsThe average daily BS level and insulin dose decreased in seven subjects. Two subjects developed generalized pruritic erythematous skin rash. One patient presented hypoglycemic coma. She had no other coma risk factor. Seven compounds were identified in the walnut essential oil and the rate of monoterpenoid and sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons were 53.45% and 5.95%, respectively. The main constituents of the oil were carvacrol (33.21%), thymol (16%) and homoveratrole (15.83%).ConclusionsWH may control the glycemic level in people with diabetes, but it may be associated with minor and major side effects. Further in vitro studies, using these seven compounds, are recommended to determine the efficacy and complications of WH in people with diabetes.

Association between walnut consumption and diabetes risk in NHANES

“…Further support comes from the use of walnut hydrosol extract to control blood sugar of persons with diabetes mellitus. Physicians found a significant decrease in both average daily blood sugar (ranging from 12 to 31 mg/dL) and the required insulin dose (4‐8 units) …”

“…Physicians found a significant decrease in both average daily blood sugar (ranging from 12 to 31 mg/ dL) and the required insulin dose (4-8 units). 9 Recently meta analyses have been published on the overall effects of different food classes on both heart disease and type 2 diabetes 10,11 These studies have found protective effects of nuts/seeds, warranting further research into nuts, and subsequently specific nut studies. Studies of free-living populations have generally grouped all nuts (including peanuts, a known legume) in their study of associations of nut consumption with diabetes.…”

Effect of drying on the essential oil traits and antioxidant potential J. regia L. leaves from Kumaun Himalaya

“…A previous study from Pakistan reported the high percentage of benzyl alcohol, nerolidol, globulol and p-cymene in the nuts oil of J. regia. Moravej et al [22] examined the essential oil composition of walnut hydrosol from Iran and observed the composition to be entirely different from leaf oil. The main components of the hydrosol oil were oxygenated monoterpenes such as thymol and carvacrol (Table 1).…”

“…Reports are available on the volatile composition of J. regia leaves from Egypt [17], India [18][19][20], Tunisia [21], Iran [22] and the nuts from Pakistan [23]. There are few reports on the antioxidant potential evaluation of leaf oil of J. regia [18,20,23].…”

Persian Walnut Composition and its Importance in Human Health

“…50,51 Walnut green husks have been employed in traditional Arabic Palestinian herbal medicine to treat several human diseases such as skin diseases caused by syphilis and fungi, wart, stomachache, anemia, and they were reported to have antihelmintic, astringent, and nerve tonic properties. 52 The bark, branches and husk of the green walnut have been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of gastric, lung and liver cancer for a long time in China, Korea and the northeastern region of Mexico. In Tunisia, the bark is used as miswaks for teeth cleaning.…”