Energy drink gives new hope to Britain’s 4 million diabetics
AN ENERGY drink could soon be available to help fight Britain’s Type 2 diabetes crisis, academics revealed yesterday.
The drink, known as “G”, has been designed by British scientists to boost the performance of US soldiers and athletes.
A team from Oxford University, who created the product, have been carrying out a trial of its effects on top athletes.
But they also believe it could be used to help treat the millions of Britons suffering from Type 2 diabetes.
Professor Kieran Clarke, who led the study, explained that the drink was rich in “ketones” which can prove highly beneficial for diabetes sufferers.
She said: “Ketones help to lower fatty acid levels in the blood. The drink could be taken alongside a low-sugar diet to help manage the condition.”
The “G” drink has now been approved in the US by the Federal Drugs Agency and will soon go on sale to the general public. Developers hope it will become available in the UK.
The Oxford team created the new drink as part of a multimillion dollar appeal by the US army to develop the most effective food for soldiers. It is thought to be the first oral form of ketone ever produced.
Scientists conducted a trial by giving a group of cyclists a time test.
Those who drank the liquid, a mixture of ketones and glucose, rode a quarter of a mile further in the half-hour test than those who did not.
The study of 39 athletes included former Olympians.
When the body does not get enough fuel from food its internal fat stores are broken down to feed the brain.
Ketones are made from these fat stores and are the body’s natural in-built way of dealing with starvation.
Lifestyle
Professor Clarke said: “Ketone bodies kick in after several days of not eating. When the body is starving they come to the rescue – a natural mechanism to keep us alive.
“Certain diets, like the Atkins or other low carb plans, do increase ketones, but not to the extremes of starvation.”
Dr Pete Cox, a clinician at Oxford University, said: “Given the findings of this study, which challenge our understanding of human physiology, it will be tempting for many to pursue the endurance and sportrelated avenues. But it would be a great shame if the metabolic basis of this work was not further explored.”
Experts have warned that Britain is already sitting on a diabetes timebomb.
About four million people in the UK have diabetes, with 90 per cent suffering from Type 2.
Type 1 is an auto-immune disease which cannot currently be cured.
Type 2 can be avoided by making lifestyle changes such as taking more exercise and eating a healthy diet.
An estimated 549,000 people have Type 2 diabetes but are not aware of it.
Libby Dowling, a senior clinical advisor at Diabetes UK, said: “It is estimated that, if nothing changes, five million people in the UK will be living with the condition by 2025.
“This makes the need to tackle this serious health condition more urgent than ever.”
Earlier this year, the World Health Organisation warned that millions of Britons needed to “act now” by getting fit.
There is also a huge rise in the incidence of the disease worldwide.
Only drastic lifestyle changes involving regular exercise and improved diet can halt its “unrelenting march”, a WHO spokeswoman has warned.