5 things about Indian herb that cuts blood sugar levels and cravings within 30 minutes
Diabetes is one health condition that affects millions worldwide and
causes other devastating illnesses. What's worse is that it is hitherto
considered manageable but has no sure shot cure.
Gymnema Sylvestre, a plant used as a malaria and snakebites remedy is
now recognised for its anti-diabetic qualities and is being probed
further by researchers. Express (UK) tells about a study
that has shown how Gymnema lowers the amount of sugar that gets
absorbed into the intestines, which helps improve blood glucose levels.
It bears out these claims through the study about the effects of Gymnema
extract on a sample of 22 patients and delightfully declared that it
had yielded positive results.
The study authors wrote: “Five of the 22 diabetic patients were able to discontinue their conventional drug and maintain their blood glucose homeostasis with GS4 alone."
What is this Ayurvedic medicinal herb Gurmar or biological name Gymnema Sylvestre -- that slashes blood sugar levels by 29 per cent and can kill sugar cravings in 'seconds'?
Let us understand Diabetes first:
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the pancreas cannot produce insulin. Type 1 diabetes, once known as juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes, is a chronic condition in which the pancreas produces little or no insulin -- which is the hormone needed to allow sugar (glucose) to enter cells to produce energy. The WHO report puts the estimated global population of all types of diabetics at over 422 million -- and a study that says that Type 1 diabetes constitutes about 5–10 per cent of all cases of diabetes. Diabetes can be broken down into different forms, but it is the second type that afflicts 90 per cent of diabetics.
Type 2 diabetes is more of a lifestyle disorder -- brought on by a sedentary lifestyle caused by any factor - another disease, plain lack of time or activity, accident-related disability etc. It is widely accepted that there is no known cure for type 2 diabetes. But it can be controlled. And in some cases, it goes into remission. Of those people who don't need diabetes medicine, some find that their diabetes does "reverse" with weight control, diabetes-healthy eating, and exercise.
Diabetes occurs when the body becomes desensitised to insulin, or production of the hormone ceases. In either case, the overarching characteristic of the condition is high blood sugar levels. According to Cleveland Clinic, poorly controlled diabetes can lead to serious consequences, causing damage to a wide range of your body's organs and tissues – including your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
Fortunately, some food items can slash blood glucose and ward off the disease altogether, find researchers.
One edible plant, however, may also help by significantly lowering blood sugar levels after intake, reports .
Commonly used treatments for diabetes can generally be split into three categories - carbohydrates absorption inhibitors, insulin sensitisers and hypoglycaemic agents.
5 things about Gurmar or Gymnema Sylvestre!
- Gymnema Sylvestre is an insulin sensitiser that has been studied in patients with diabetes. Gurmar or Gurmor leaves contain resins, albumin, chlorophyll, carbohydrates, tartaric acid, formic acid, butyric acid, and anthraquinone derivatives.
- Gurmar is the ancient Indian (Hindi) name for a woody creeper shrub used for thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine.
- The remedy is also traditionally used to treat malaria and snakebites, while also being noted for its anti-diabetic qualities.
- Gymnema Sylvestre has glucose-lowering ability without causing hypoglycaemia. The study finds that "if given at least 30 minutes before eating, it reduces appetite and the cravings for sweets by anaesthetising the taste buds.
- Gymnema Sylvestre, may, therefore, aid in weight loss. It has the ability to affect a number of factors linked to the aetiology and pathophysiology of diabetes type 2 simultaneously, something that no other single hypoglycaemic agent is able to exert."
What the study found:
- Findings revealed that people with type 2 diabetes who consumed 400 mg of Gymnema leaf extract daily for 18 to 20 months, experienced a 29 per cent drop in fasting blood sugar.
- What’s more impressive is that levels of A1C - haemoglobin chemically linked to sugar - decreased from 11.9 per cent at the outset of the study, to 8.48 per cent.
- Researchers claim that the vine contains a compound called gymnemic acid, which suppressed the taste of sugar. This is thought to be useful in the treatment of diabetes because it hampers cravings.
- The report adds that the plant's taste-altering properties have been attributed to the shrub’s active compound, gymnemic acid, which is able to suppress sweet tastes without affecting the perception of other tastes.
- Verywell Health told Express that the herb carries out a two-fold action. Gymnema Sylvestre not only lowers sugar cravings – but it also reduces the rate at which sugar and fat are absorbed into the body. This two-fold action may help treat obesity, diabetes and high cholesterol. These effects kick in within 30 seconds and last up to half an hour.
According to a report in Scientific American -- modern pharmacological research seems to support this traditional wisdom. Compounds extracted from Gymnema have been shown to reduce the absorption of sugar from the intestinal tract and boost insulin production, all of which could help lower blood sugar. Animal testing confirms that Gymnema reduces blood glucose levels.