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 A vigorous climbing vine, Gymnema (also known as Gymnema
Sylvestre) is native to the jungles and meadows of southern India.
Its leaves are used medicinally and when chewed directly appear to
interfere with ability to taste sweet foods. For this reason the
herb is known in Hindi as gurmar, or "sugar destroyer".
While
gymnema sylvestre is used in connection with a variety of health
conditions, it has gained most of its popularity for its purported
ability to regulate and lower blood sugar levels. Additionally, a
few studies indicate that gymena sylvestre may help to remedy both
type 1 and type 2 diabetes. First, the chemical compounds found in
gymena sylvestre appear to lower the amount of sugar processed by
the stomach. Finally, it has been shown that chewing on the leaves
of gymnema sylvestre numbs a person’s taste for sweets whereby
decreasing their desire to eat foods containing high amounts of
sugar. Gymnema may also be able to raise insulin levels. However,
gymnema used as a treatment for diabetes has in now way been verfied
by clinical evidence.
Some studies have shown that
supplementation with gymnema sylvestre may reduce blood cholesterol
and triglyceride levels and also block the absorption of dietary
fats into the bloodstream.
Precautions and Possible
Side Effects
Because gymnema sylvestre may lower
blood sugar levels, individuals who have diabetes should use this
herb with caution. If blood sugar levels fall too low, shakiness,
sweating, confusion, distorted speech, and loss of muscle control
may occur. If it is not corrected, low blood sugar can lead to
unconsciousness and even death.
Dosage and
Administration
In human studies, the most common
doses of gymnema sylvestre used for blood sugar control were 400 mg
to 600 mg per day. Gymnema sylvestre is commonly added to many
different combinations of herbal products, but the majority of
studies used a standardized product that contains only gymnema
sylvestre.
Note - Gymnema sylvestre needs
more studying before it can be recommended as a medical
supplement.
Supporting
Literature
Murakami N, Murakami T, and Kadoya
M. New hypoglycemic constituents in "gymnemic acid" from Gymnema
sylvestre. Chem Pharm Bull 1996;44:469–471.
Shigematsu N, Asano
R, and Okazaki M. Effect of administration with the extract of
Gymnema sylvestre leaves on lipid metabolism in rats. Biol Pharm
Bull 2001;24:713–717.
Min BC, Sakamoto K. Influence of sweet
suppressing agent on gustatory brain evoked potentials generated by
taste stimuli. Appl Human Sci
1998;17:9–17.
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