A study published in the Dec 2008 issue of Acta physiologica Hungarica suggests that blueberry and sea buckhorn may benefit children with type 1 diabetes.

For the study, Nemes-Nagy E and colleagues from University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Târgu-Mureş, Romania treated children with 30 children with type 1 diabetes for two months.

The researchers then tested the glycated hemoglobin, C peptide and two antioxidant enzymes in the blood of the subjects after the treatment.

They found the erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity and the activity of whole blood glutathione peroxidase increased.   C peptide concentration was also significantly higher after the treatment.

They concluded that "These results suggest that treatment with this dietary supplement has a beneficial effect in the treatment of type 1 diabetic children and it should be considered as a phytotherapeutic product in the fight against diabetes mellitus."

Type 1 diabetes is a medical condition in which the pancreas does not produce enough insulin to properly control blood sugar levels. The disease is often diagnosed in children and young adults.  

Type 1 diabetes raises the risk for many serious complications including heart disease (cardiovascular disease), blindness (retinopathy), nerve damage (neuropathy), and kidney damage (nephropathy).

Antioxidants that neutralize free radicals which can damage cells are believed to be beneficial to people with diabetes.