The low-sugar watermelon is creating a big buzz in the news right now. The watermelon, developed by plant breeders at the US Department of Agriculture, contains less than half the sugar of regular melons. It may fit the bill perfectly for diabetics who crave a generous helping of that luscious summer treat. Brilliantly, beneficial concentrations of vitamin A, potassium and the antioxidant lycopene stay the same in the low-cal version. Don't rush to the local supermarket looking for it though: the seeds have only just become available to melon growers, so mature fruits has not yet hit the market.

The beauty of the low-cal melon is that it's all-natural. Okay, okay. It took some genetic engineering to get there. Still, noshing on a big stack of this watermelon has to be better for you than processed snacks and drinks, with their chemical cocktail ingredients list. Reports in today's news on the possible dangers of diet soda consumption, for example, might get people thinking harder about healthier ways to satisfy their sugar cravings. On the other hand, if you're not afraid of the artificial sweeteners, a sprinkling on the low-sugar melon will enhance the sweetness, sugar-free. Thank you, Mother Nature...and the USDA.

I know you've always wondered what a diabetes drug might do to a nondiabetic. Riddle solved for this drug- nothing. Dia-B Tech Limited, a Melbourne-based biotech, released results from a medical trial for a new treatment for type 2 diabetes that show it is safe for use in humans without diabetes.

The drug makes a patient's own insulin work better. The insulin sensitizing factor known as compound ISF402 attaches itself to insulin and helps break it down to a more useable form This is a great concept - and one that is fashioned fully in a bitter melon. However, let's give the Aussie biotech the spotlight. Bitter melon is not for the faint of heart - it has teeth!

The study included 24 healthy male volunteers given the treatment and it showed no adverse health effects. If it did not have any effect on healthy individuals - why call it a drug? Call it gum or something mundane. They may have to come up with a whole new category of drug that has no influence in healthy individuals. Maybe they should call it a biologically indifferent agent. Sounds like it still qualifies for a copay, right?

The company now plans to check the treatment's safety on 16 volunteers with type 2 diabetes. The company expects the safety trials to be completed mid-year and then plans to begin a larger trial to find out if the treatment works.

A study suggests that women who breastfeed may be lowering their risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Breastfeeding has always been healthy for babies. This research now shows it does the same for moms. The study found that the longer a woman breastfed, the lower her chances were for developing diabetes. Each year of breastfeeding was associated with a 15% reduction in diabetes risk within the next 15 years.

In the newly published research, nearly 160,000 female nurses were analyzed in two ongoing health studies. All of the women had provided information on their breastfeeding history, and roughly 6,200 developed type 2 diabetes.After consideration of other type 2 diabetes risk factors (obesity, smoking, sedentary lifestyle, etc.) those having breastfed within the past 15 years were found to be less likely to develop diabetes. The likelihood of developing diabetes decreased the longer a woman breastfed. Women with a history of gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy) had an increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. However, lactation did not have an effect on this risk.

Breastfeeding has clearly been healthy for babies, and now there is evidence that it is just as healthy for moms. In fact, lactation has also been shown to improve blood sugar control, help moms takeoff their pregnancy weight after the birth and this assists in lowering the overall risk for developing type 2 diabetes. We all know there are some things you just shouldn't mess with - Mother Nature is no exception.