*Dietary Reference Intake not established.
Other ingredients: none. Capsule: hypromellose, sorbitol, silicon dioxide, water.
Note: Herbal extracts will naturally vary in color from one batch to another.
AOR guarantees that no ingredients not listed on the label have been added to the product. Contains no wheat, gluten, corn, nuts, dairy, soy, eggs, fish or shellfish.
Suggested Use
Take one to three capsules daily, or as directed by a qualified health care practitioner.
Main Applications
As reported by literature:
• Hyperglycemia.
• Cardiovascular disease.
Source
Leaves.
Pregnancy / Nursing
No studies have been conducted. Best to avoid.
Cautions
• May reduce blood sugar levels.
• Use cautiously if hypoglycemic.
• Can sometimes produce redness in the skin (rash).
• In rare instances, can irritate the kidneys.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
| A high dietary glycemic load, coupled with sedentary and stressful lifestyles, has contributed to the alarming incidence of diabetes. Clinical complications include cardiovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, strokes, renal disease, atherosclerosis, and blindness. Numerous therapeutic approaches are available and depend on individual response. Dietary restrictions and insulin administration, though effective, are not found to correct the multiple tissue defects completely. |
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Oral hypoglycemic drugs such as sulfonylureas and biguanides are known to have serious side effects; hence, the search for hypoglycemic agents which deal with the disease more completely and with minimum possible undesirable effects still persists. In this context, the Ayurved herb Gymnema sylvestre has gained considerable importance and generated much scientific and medical interest.
Gymnema sylvestre (GS), an herb belonging to the Asclepiadacea family, is a woody branched vine growing in the wild forests of Central and South India. The plant has been used by the traditional medical practitioners of India since Buddha's era. The hypoglycemic effect of this herb was scientifically tested for the first time in 1930. It was observed that GS lowered blood glucose levels in alloxan-induced diabetic dogs but not in pancreactomized animals, suggesting that some residual pancreatic tissue is needed for this herb to be effective. Further studies revealed that GS significantly lowered blood glucose levels in both insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetic rats. Similar results were achieved by Prakash et al by feeding Gymnema sylvestre to Beryllium nitrate-treated rats.
In human clinical trials, gymnema extracts were effective in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes (both insulin-dependent and independent). In 22 type 2 diabetes patients, gymnema extract resulted in a significant reduction in blood glucose, and in sugar-modified haemoglobin and plasma proteins. 5 of the 22 patients were able to discontinue their standard medications and maintain healthy blood glucose levels with gymnema alone.
Similar results were found in a study of 27 diabetes mellitus patients on insulin therapy. The gymnema, along with its other effects, reduced the requirements for insulin and brought serum lipids to almost normal levels. The gymnema extract appeared to enhance the body's own insulin, possibly by regenerating or repairing beta cells which produce insulin.
More recent studies suggest that the GS may inhibit the release of Gastro-Intestinal Peptide (G.I.P.), which normally occurs following duodenal infusion of Glucose. In addition to reducing the insulinotropic action of gastro-intestinal hormones, GS is thought to increase peripheral insulin sensitivity. This might then result in lowered insulin levels during a glucose tolerance test. The mechanism of action may be via the interaction with the glucose receptor. This may explain the folklore claims of loss of sweet sensation following chewing of GS leaves. In fact, GS is considered a carbohydrate metabolism modifier and has the following properties:
(1) Sensation of taste. The tongue sugar receptors are effectively blocked by GS, thereby inhibiting sensation of sweetness.
(2) Glucose Control. Inhibition of uptake of glucose in the intestines by interacting with and blocking the glucose receptor sites, thereby reducing the "spike" in glucose and insulin seen after a meal.
The active ingredients are thought to be saponin and glycoside derivatives. So far, eleven different types have been isolated and identified as gymnemic acids. The chemical structure has been identified by nuclear magnetic resonance and X-ray studies to be similar to glycuronides.
References
Baskaran K, Kizar Ahamath B, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Shanmugasundaram ER. Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3): 295-300.
Shanmugasundaram ER, Rajeswari G, Baskaran K, Rajesh Kumar BR, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Kizar Ahmath B. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990 Oct; 30(3): 281-94.
Shanmugasundaram ER, Gopinath KL, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Rajendran VM. Possible regeneration of the islets of Langerhans in streptozotocin-diabetic rats given Gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts. J Ethnopharmacol 1990 Oct; 30(3): 265-79.
Okabayashi Y, Tani S, Fujisawa T, Koide M, Hasegawa H, Nakamura T, Fujii M, Otsuki M. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre, R.Br. on glucose homeostasis in rats. Diabetes Res Clin Pract 1990 May-Jun; 9(2): 143-8.
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