Garlic, artichokes can fight against obesity

London: Want to shed the flab and control blood sugar levels as well? Make sure your daily diet contains foods like asparagus, artichokes and garlic, for a study says that eating them can help fight obesity and diabetes.

Researchers have found that a diet rich in fermentable carbohydrates like garlic, asparagus and artichokes suppresses hunger and improve human body`s ability to control blood sugar levels, `The Daily Telegraph` reported. This is because these foods activate the release of gut hormones that reduce appetite. They enhance sensitivity to insulin -- the hormone produced by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter the body`s cells -- thereby leading to better glucose control, according to the researchers. Nicola Guess, a dietitian at Imperial College, London, who is leading the study, said: "By investigating how appetite and blood glucose levels are regulated in people at high risk of Type 2 diabetes, it is hoped that we can find a way to prevent its onset. "If successful, this study will be able to determine whether fermentable carbohydrates could provide the public with an effective and affordable health intervention to reduce an individual`s risk of developing diabetes." An earlier research by the University of Leicester has found that eating green leafy vegetables could cut the risk of type 2 diabetes. Broccoli, kale, spinach, sprouts and cabbage can reduce the risk by 14 per cent when eaten daily, according to the study published in the `British Medical Journal`. The vegetables are rich in antioxidants and magnesium, which has been linked to lower levels of diabetes. PTI