West African cooking habits apparently hold more secrets than meets the eye, scientists say. One of the most extensively used spices, a distant relative of ginger, called Aframomum melegueta, has been known for a long time to have therapeutic properties. Now, health experts say that the spice can be used to prevent or even treat diabetes.
 

A series of mouse tests showed that diabetic rodents responded well when injected with a grains of paradise solution. Namely, their sugar level concentration in the blood dropped significantly and their condition seemed to have improved. This should come as no surprise to anyone, given the fact that the Africans have used this plant for their medicine since they can remember.
 

Though clinical human trials are not yet underway, scientists are already pondering the possibility of introducing this spice into use in America as well, maybe as food additive or as a nutritional supplement. This measure could help prevent people from developing diabetes due to outside factors, like eating habits and such.
 

For people suffering from predisposition to diabetes or for patients who are at increased risks, the extract can work as a vaccine or even as a treatment, so that the effects of the disease can be avoided. Some cosmetic firms are also considering using the spice for their product lines, as it contains active natural ingredients that can help stimulate cellular growth and regeneration rates.
 

The fact that A. melegueta is readily available means that scientists will have sufficient quantities to conduct all the testing they want. And if tests prove the plant to be as useful as experts now think it is, we could be looking at a totally new way of fighting diabetes, one that doesn't involve drugs, insulin shots or other invasive therapies. Rutgers University professor Ilya Raskin, who conducted the mouse tests, already submitted a patent application for the spice extraction process.