Diabetes herb as effective as drugs

An herb used in traditional Indian medicine to treat diabetes has been found to lower blood sugar and insulin levels as effectively as prescription drugs, a new Ohio State University study reports.

Researchers gave extracts of the herb Salacia oblonga to 39 healthy adults, and the results are promising. The largest dose--1,000 milligrams (mg)--decreased insulin by 29 percent and blood glucose by 23 percent.

These reductions are similar to the effects of prescription medications for diabetics.

Researchers are now trying to figure out which dose of the herb is most effective and when it should be taken relative to mealtimes. Participants took the extract with meals, but it is thought that it may be more effective if taken prior to eating.

The herbal extract binds to intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates. These enzymes--called alpha-glucosidases--turn carbohydrates into glucose, the sugar that circulates throughout the body. If the enzyme binds to the herbal extract rather than to a carbohydrate, then less glucose gets into the bloodstream, resulting in lowered blood glucose and insulin levels.

Lowering blood glucose levels reduces the risk of disease-related complications in people with diabetes, such as kidney disease and nerve and eye damage.

The study appears in the January 2005 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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