Monday 10th November 2014 – Sydney, Australia: Early research suggests a new natural food product derived from the whole plant fibre of sugar cane could provide an important additional option for blood glucose management.
NutriKane D is a new supplement taken daily with water or juice. It is made from the whole plant fibre of sugarcane using a method that retains the micronutrients while removing almost all the sucrose. This core ingredient is combined with other natural dietary fibres and nutrients to form a unique multi-function product.
Early pilot studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that NutriKane D improves intestinal health and that this is leading to better management of blood glucose levels in many people.
A 100 patient trial at the Royal Melbourne Hospital has been completed which examines use of specific bowel interventions using fibres including NutriKane to improve continence related patient outcomes.
Representatives from the School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine at Monash University are overseeing the pilot study into NutriKane D in Melbourne and says the early results are very encouraging.
“Early results in the pilot study using NutriKane suggest that in patients with neurological and musculoskeletal disabilities, bowel regimens were optimized using various interventions including fibre. Positive outcomes were improved bowel dysfunction symptoms and enhanced quality of life” said one professor.
Dr Ian Humphrey, a prominent Paediatrician and Allergist from Melbourne, has made an early assessment of NutriKane. He says dietary fibre has been known for a long time to be essential for normal gastrointestinal function and blood glucose management.
“In addition to the known beneficial effects of dietary fibre, there is evidence that NutriKane may improve the health of the gastrointestinal mucosa (lining) and anecdotal evidence of significant improvement in blood glucose control beyond that seen with other forms of fibre. These features would make NutriKane a truly novel form of fibre but the beneficial effects need to be confirmed by objective assessment. I support further research into this product,” said Dr Humphrey.
The Elevate Health clinic has an interest in natural therapies and included a client on a trial. “As a T2DM client, he has responded astonishingly well to insulin treatment, exercise, nutrition and NutriKane prescription. He has been off insulin for the past 6 weeks whilst being on NutriKane and has regulated his blood glucose levels well. I have never had a client so dedicated to treatment and responded so well. Even his endocrinologist is amazed at his improvement” says Robbie Clark, Clinical Dietician at Elevate Australasia, Sydney.
There is a substantial research program being built around the new product. Currently MediKane is engaged with Macquarie University under an Australian Research Council grant (in the ITTC program) funding three PhD projects investigating the base science associated with the observed clinical effects of the product.
MediKane Chief Technical Officer Dr Malcolm Ball says that initial in-house studies, analysis of the composition of NutriKane D and extensive literature reviews suggest that bio-available chromium and high antioxidant content are important contributors to the mode of action.
“NutriKane D is high in bio-available chromium, as well as polyphenolic and flavonoid antioxidants all of which are micronutrients that have been shown to be important to insulin sensitivity in all people. These essential nutrients have also been proposed to be important in the maintaining optimum blood glucose levels. The product made from safe high quality foods and in addition to the potential benefits to blood glucose management has many general health benefits” said Dr Ball.
