|
Gymnema for Diabetes Gymnema Sylvestre shows success as a treatment for glycemic control in diabetes 2, 3. A review at Harvard Medical School of 108 clinical trials examining 36 herbs including Gymnema Sylvestre and 9 vitamin/mineral supplements, involving 4,565 patients with diabetes or impaired glucose tolerance, met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Doctors found that Gymnema Sylvestre provided improved glucose control with very few adverse reactions. The Harvard researchers concluded that more research is needed, but they were optimistic about herbal treatments for diabetes. "There is still insufficient evidence to draw definitive conclusions about the efficacy of individual herbs and supplements for diabetes; however, they appear to be generally safe," they said. In another study, researchers found that that the liver glycogen content in glucose fed rats was lowered when gymnema sylvestre leaves were added to the diet 4 (Chattopadhyay RR) May be more effective than glibenclamide as a treatment 9 In several studies, researchers in India have compared treatment of diabetic patients with Gymnema Sylvestre with patients who received the standard treatment with the medication Glibenclamide. Glibenclamide is the same as glyburide, however the term glibenclamide is used in Europe, not the United States. Their conclusion? One team wrote, "This clearly shows the antidiabetic efficacy of GLEt, which was better than that of glibenclamide."
|
