Role of functional foods in diabetes management

Despite advancements in contemporary medical techniques and large investments in its care, diabetes mellitus, in particular type II diabetes (T2D), continues to pose a serious threat to world health. Over the years, a variety of therapeutic approaches, including insulin therapy and the use of different drugs, have been investigated; however, some of these treatments have related negative effects. An increasing amount of research suggests that functional foods and their bioactive components may be used as adjunctive therapy for type 2 diabetes mellitus because of their biological qualities. The potential of functional foods and nutraceuticals in reducing postprandial hyperglycemia, influencing adipose tissue metabolism, and modulating both carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, has been highlighted by numerous studies carried out in vitro, using animal models. To fully utilize their potential, there are a few significant drawbacks and areas that require more study. A large portion of current research is preliminary and frequently derived from animal or in vitro studies, which restricts the research's applicability to human populations. It is yet unclear exactly how these foods work, thus more research into their molecular processes is necessary.