Gymnema: Diabetes Herbal Therapy
NIH Says Gymnema Lowers Serum Glucose Levels and Cholesterol
Researchers are looking at herbal medicine (Gymnema), massage therapy, Yoga, Integrative Manual Therapy to help the 171 million people worldwide with diabetes.
Going to the gym and working out supports people managing the signs and symptoms of diabetes, high cholesterol as well as other liver and blood sugar imbalances. Taking an herb called Gymnema has also been found effective in managing blood sugar levels in Type 1 diabetics as well as Type 2 diabetics.
Like working out at the gym, taking the herbal supplement Gymnema is not a quick fix, but according to the National Institute of Health (NIH) Gymnema sylvestre can be used as an adjunct to conventional therapy by diabetics and adults wanting to balance out blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Recommending that anyone considering phytotherapy (herbal therapy) for diabetes should consult their healthcare provider, the NIH noted that there is only preliminary human research to indicate that Gymnema lowers serum glucose levels as well as decreasing cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Gymnema's Traditional Uses
Traditionally, Gymnema has been used as an antimicrobial, aphrodisiac, cancer fighter, in cardiovascular disease, constipation, cough, as a digestive stimulant, laxative, liver protector, for weight loss, gout, high blood pressure, malaria, obesity, rheumatoid arthritis, snake venom antidote, stomach ailments, and uterine stimulant.
The weight loss aspect occurs because taking Gymnema affects the sugar related taste buds on the tongue. Basically, those little packs of sugar taste like sand after taking a tablet of Gymnema. The name for Gymnema in Hindi reflects this effect. The Hindi name is gurmar or "sugar destroyer."
At this point researchers are looking at exercises, herbal medicine, manual therapies, massage therapy, Yoga, Integrative Manual Therapy, Acupuncture, Acupressure, and medications to find ways to stem the rise in death and significant quality of life problems secondary to diabetes. The health care costs and loss of workplace productivity due to diabetes is also driving the research.
World Health Organization Diabetes Numbers
According to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, the number of people worldwide with diabetes climbed from 30 million in 1985 to 171 million in 2000. Some 4 percent to 6 percent of adults aged 20 and over are now affected. Developed nations tend to have a higher prevalence, but developing nations are fast catching up.
These are very serious numbers since Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body either doesn't produce enough insulin or the cells ignore the insulin. It is one of the most costly and burdensome diseases of in the world today. Diabetes has been linked to heart disease, blindness, amputations due to peripheral neuropathy as well as kidney damage.
In a 2007 study by Dr. David W. Dunstan, of the International Diabetes Institute, Melbourne, Australia, investigators found that "the more time women spent television viewing, the higher their blood glucose levels two hours after they took the glucose test-drink." This study links time spent doing sedentary activities such as watching TV to over all increased blood sugar levels.
Pregnant Women and Children
While the NIH doesn’t recommend that children or pregnant women take Gymnema (there just isn’t enough information), a British study (Paula Skidmore at the School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice at the University of East Anglia) gives some advice for mothers and children. She noted that "children who are tall as toddlers or grow fast during their teenage years are more likely to have lower cholesterol levels as adults." On the other hand, people who gain excess weight after age 15 run a greater risk of higher cholesterol levels, according to the study. Skidmore said it's "vital that parents are aware of the importance of nutrition in pregnancy and childhood."
Consideration should be given by a health care professional if the person is also taking blood sugar lowering drugs or medications for lowering cholesterol. The NIH notes, "increased effects may occur if taken in combination with herbs or supplements that lower cholesterol such as fish oil, garlic, guggul, or niacin. Absorption of oleic acid (a fatty acid) may be decreased by gymnema. " Allergy to gymnema may occur. In theory, allergic cross-reactivity may exist with members of the Asclepiadaceae (milkweed) family.
