Toronto, Jul 15 (IANS): A new study suggests that cashew seed extract can act as an effective anti-diabetic.

Researchers from Universities of Montreal, Canada and de Yaoundé Cameroun analysed whether cashew extracts could improve the body's response to its own insulin, reports Molecular Nutrition and Food Research.

"Of all the extracts tested, only cashew seed extract significantly stimulated blood sugar absorption by muscle cells," a release quoted study author Pierre S. Haddad as saying.

Haddad, professor of pharmacology at the University of Montreal's Faculty of Medicine, said: "Cashew seed extract contains active compounds, which can have potential anti-diabetic properties."

Diabetes is a condition in which a person has high blood sugar, either because the body does not produce enough insulin or because the cells do not respond to insulin.

Diabetes, which affects nearly 220 million people worldwide, can trigger heart or kidney disease.