{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T06:58:28Z","timestamp":1787727508067,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]],"date-time":"2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1736899200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nutrients"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: It has been reported that people affected by COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, suffer from various diseases, after infection. One of the most serious problems is the increased risk of developing diabetes after COVID-19 infection. However, a treatment for post-COVID-19 infection diabetes has not yet been established. In this study, we investigated the effects of Ficus pumila L. extract, which has traditionally been used to reduce blood glucose levels in Okinawa, on patients who developed diabetes after COVID-19 infection. (2) Methods: In total, 128 rehabilitation patients aged 80 years old or older who developed diabetes after COVID-19 infection were included. The HOMA-\u03b2 (Homeostatic model assessment of \u03b2-cell function) and HOMA-IR (Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance) were assessed to evaluate the glucose tolerance. (3) Results: The HOMA-\u03b2 decreased and HOMA-IR increased in patients who developed after diabetes after COVID-19 infection. Subsequently, 59 patients were given Ficus pumila L. extract and their HOMA-\u03b2 and HOMA-IR improved after ingestion. On the other hand, the control group of patients who did not consume Ficus pumila L. showed no improvement in both HOMA-\u03b2 and HOMA-IR. (4) Conclusions: Ficus pumila L. extract, ingested by patients who developed diabetes after COVID-19 infection, stimulated insulin secretion capacity and improved insulin resistance.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nu17020290","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]],"date-time":"2025-01-15T04:42:08Z","timestamp":1736916128000},"page":"290","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Effect of Ficus pumila L. on Improving Insulin Secretory Capacity and Resistance in Elderly Patients Aged 80 Years Old or Older Who Develop Diabetes After COVID-19 Infection"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7671-1808","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kenji","family":"Gonda","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City 972-8322, Fukushima, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Bioregulation and Pharmacological Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takeshi","family":"Hai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Daido Central Hospital, 1-1-37 Asato, Naha City 902-0067, Okinawa, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kouichi","family":"Suzuki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Bioregulation and Pharmacological Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Daido Central Hospital, 1-1-37 Asato, Naha City 902-0067, Okinawa, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4415-9657","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Akihiko","family":"Ozaki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Breast and Thyroid Surgery, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City 972-8322, Fukushima, Japan"},{"name":"Department of Gastrointestinal Tract Surgery, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takashi","family":"Shibusa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Jyoban Hospital of Tokiwa Foundation, Iwaki City 972-8322, Fukushima, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Seiichi","family":"Takenoshita","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Drug Research for Astatine-221 Targeted Alfa Therapy, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yuko","family":"Maejima","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Bioregulation and Pharmacological Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kenjyu","family":"Shimomura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Bioregulation and Pharmacological Medicine, Fukushima Medical University, 1 Hikarigaoka, Fukushima City 960-1295, Fukushima, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.1016\/S2213-8587(22)00044-4","article-title":"Risks and burdens of incident diabetes in long COVID: A cohort study","volume":"10","author":"Xie","year":"2022","journal-title":"Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol."},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"782","DOI":"10.2337\/dc21-1686","article-title":"The Incidence of Diabetes Among 2,777,768 Veterans With and Without Recent SARS-CoV-2 Infection","volume":"45","author":"Wander","year":"2022","journal-title":"Diabetes Care"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"395","DOI":"10.1111\/jhn.12806","article-title":"Potential curing and beneficial effects of Ooitabi (Ficus pumila L.) on hypertension and dyslipidaemia in Okinawa","volume":"34","author":"Suzuki","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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