Bitter gourd is a common anti-diabetic vegetable that grows throughout the tropical regions. It contains phytochemicals such as charantin, polypeptide-p and vicine with anti-diabetic properties. It is also packed with antioxidant compounds. The hypoglycemic property of bitter gourd extract has been proven in cell culture, animal studies and clinical trials. Bitter gourd extract could serve as a dietary supplement or the bitter gourd fruit can be safely included in the diet of diabetic and prediabetic patients. (Krawinkel MB, Keding GB. “Bitter gourd (Momordica Charantia): A dietary approach to hyperglycemia.” Nutr Rev. 2006 Jul;64(7 Pt 1): 331-7).
Bitter gourd aids recovery and regeneration of the pancreatic beta cells located in the islet of Langerhans in the pancreas. Diabetics have usually smaller number of beta cells in the pancreas. (Singh N, Gupta M. “Regeneration of beta cells in islets of Langerhans of pancreas of alloxan diabetic rats by acetone extract of Momordica charantica (Linn.) (bitter gourd) fruits.” Indian J Exp Biol. 2007 Dec;45(12):1055-62).
Obesity is one of the key causes of insulin resistance diabetes. This bitter vegetable might help to improve insulin sensitivity and glucose tolerance in obese diabetics. (Sridhar MG, Vinayagamoorthi R, Arul Suyambunathan V, Bobby Z, Selvaraj N. “Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia) improves insulin sensitivity by increasing skeletal muscle insulin-stimulated IRS-1 tyrosine phosphorylation in high-fat fed rats.” Br J Nutr. 2008 Apr;99(4):806-12).
The bitter gourd seeds are packed with antioxidant compounds. They might reduce the risk of diabetes-induced complications. The seed extract could reduce the fasting blood glucose level. They can improve kidney function in diabetic patients, as evident from the reduction in the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances in the blood. Moreover, bitter gourd seed extract could stimulate production of antioxidant enzymes in diabetics. (Sathishsekar D, Subramanian S. “Antioxidant properties of Momordica Charantia (bitter gourd) seeds on Streptozotocin induced diabetic rats.” Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14(2):153-8). Abnormal changes that occur in the kidneys in diabetics such as thickening of the membrane at the base of the Bowmen’s capsule in the nephrons, abnormal cell growth in the proximal tubules, thickening of the renal cortex, kidney failure and edema might be reversed with bitter gourd extract. (Teoh SL, Abd Latiff A, Das S. “Histological changes in the kidneys of experimental diabetic rats fed with Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) extract.” Rom J Morphol Embryol. 2010;51(1):91-5).
Delayed wound healing is a common complication of diabetics. Experimental studies have demonstrated the rapid wound healing property of bitter gourd in diabetics. (Teoh SL, Lattiff AA, Das S. “The effect of topical extract of Momordica charantia (bitter gourd) on wound healing in nondiabetic rats and rats with diabetes induced by streptozotocin.” Clin Exp Dermatol. 2009 Oct;34(7):815-22).
Gymnema sylvestre is a bitter herb widely used in India, Japanese, Vietnamese and Australian folk medicines for treating diabetes. In India, the herb is known as gurmar, which literally means “the sugar destroyer”. The herb helps to keep the metabolic disorder under control by stimulating insulin secretion, increasing glucose uptake by the skeletal muscle and adipose tissues, preventing hepatic glucose production and impairing glucose absorption in the intestines. (Prabhakar PK, Doble M. “Mechanism of action of natural products used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus.” Chin J Integr Med. 2011 Aug;17(8):562-74). In vivo and in vitro observations indicate that Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin secretion from the beta cells in the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. (AI-Romaiyan A, Liu B, Asare-Anane H, Maity CR, Chatterjee SK, Koley N, Biswas T, Chatterji AK, Huang GC, Amiel SA, Persaud SJ, Jones PM. “A novel Gymnema sylvestre extract stimulates insulin secretion from human islets in vivo and in vitro.” Phytother Res. 2010 Sep;24(9):1370-6; Ahmed AB, Rao AS, Rao MV. “In vitro callus and in vivo leaf extract of Gymnema Sylvestre stimulate beta-cells regeneration and anti-diabetic activity in Wistar rats.” Phytomedicine. 2010 Nov;17(13):1033-9).
Tribulus terrestris could reduce the blood sugar levels. Regular intake of this herb significantly lowers the fasting glucose level. It could even help to prevent insulin resistance developing from elevated levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by lowering the levels of the lipids in the bloodstream. (EI-Tantawy WH, Hassanin LA. “Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects of alcoholic extract of Tribulus alatus in streptozotocin-induced diabetic studies: a comparative study with T. terrestris (Caltrop).” Indian J Exp Biol. 2007 Sep;45(9):785-90). The herb could aid recovery of damaged liver in diabetics. It could prevent oxidative stress. (Amin A, Lotfy, Shafiullah M, Adeghate E. “The protective effect of Tribulus terrestris in diabetes.” Ann NY Acad Sci. 2006 Nov;1084:391-401). Researchers believe that the hypoglycemic function of Tribulus terrestris is primarily concentrated in the phytochemicals known as sapopin. (Li M, Qu W, Wang Y, Wan H, Tian C. “Hypoglycemic effect of sapopin from Tribulus terrestris.” Zhong Yao Cai. 2002 Jun;25(6):450-2).
Laboratory studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Vinca rosea leaves in significantly reducing the blood sugar level in diabetics. The blood sugar lowering function of the herb is comparable to that of anti-diabetic drugs such as tolbutamide. (Chattopadhyay RR, Sarkar SK, Ganguly S, Banerjee RN, Basu TK. “Hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic effect of leaves of Vinca rosea linn.” Indian J Physiol Pharmacol. 1991 Jul;35(3):145-51). Histopathological studies indicate that extract of the whole Vinca rosea plant could stimulate regeneration of the pancreatic beta cells and promote recovery of the damaged pancreas in diabetics. It even improves the lipid profile and reduces the body weight. (Ahmed MF, Kazim SM, Ghori SS, Mehjabeen SS, Ahmed SR, Ali SM, Ibrahim M. “Antidiabetic Activity of Vinca rosea Extracts in Alloxan-induced Diabetic Rats.” Int J Enfocrinol. 2010;2010:841090.
Several antidiabetic phytochemicals such as epicatechin, marsupin, pterosupin and pterostilbene have been identified in the bark of Pterocarpus marsupium. The sugar lowering ability of marsupsin and pterostilbene is comparable to that of the antidiabetic drug metformin. (Manickam M, Ramanathan M, Jahromi MA, Chansouria JB, Ray AB. “Antihyperglycemic activity of phenolics from Pterocarpus marsupium.” J Nat Prod. 1997 Jun;60(6):609-10). Besides reducing the serum glucose level, Pterocarpus marsupium also prevents abnormal rise in the triglyceride level and hyperinsulinaemia or too much insulin circulating in the bloodstream, a common symptom of insulin resistant diabetes. (Grover JK, Vats V, Yadav SS. “Pterocarpus marsupium extract (Vijayasar) prevented the alteration in metabolic patterns induced in the normal rat by feeding an adequate diet containing fructose as sole carbohydrate.” Diabetes Obes Metab. 2005 Jul;7(4):414-20). The antidiabetic herb could delay or arrest development of cataracts in diabetics. (Vats V, Yadav SP, Biswas NR, Grover JK. “Anti-cataract activity of Pterocarpus marsupium bark and Trigonella foenum-graecum seeds extract in alloxan diabetic rats.” J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Aug;93(2-3):289-94). It could increase the antioxidant levels in diabetics and restore them to the pre-diabetes level. By normalizing the antioxidant levels, the herb could reduce the risk of diabetes-induced complications. (Singh PK, Baxi D, Banerjee S, Ramachandran AV. “Therapy with methanolic extract of Pterocarpus marsupium Roxb and Ocimum sanctum Linn reverses dyslipidemia and oxidative stress in alloxan induced type 1 diabetic rat model.” Exp Toxicol Pathol. 2010 Nov 22).
The leaves of Tinospora cordifolia contain compounds that mimic insulin. (Wadood N, Wadood A, Shah SA. “Effect of Tinsopora cordifolia on blood glucose and total lipid levels of normal and alloxan-diabetic rabbits.” Planta Med. 1992 Apr;58(2):131-6). The antidiabetic function of the root of the herb is comparable to that of the antidiabetic drug glibenclamide. Laboratory studies have demonstrated the hypolipidaemic effect of the Tinsopora cordifolia root extract. It helps to lower the cholesterol and fatty acid levels in diabetics. (Stanely Mainzen Prince P, Menon VP, Gunasekaran G. “Hypolipidaemic action of Tinospora cordifolia roots in alloxan diabetic rats.” J Ethnopharmacol. 1999 Jan;64(1):53-7). Tinospora cordifolia possesses substantial antioxidant properties. Intake of the root extract of the herb boosts the levels of the antioxidant glutathione and vitamin C in diabetics. This herb might prevent kidney damage in diabetics. Consumption of Tinsopora cordifolia helps to reduce excretion of albumin through the urine. Grover JK, Vats V, Rathi SS, Dawar R. “Traditional Indian anti-diabetic plants attenuate progression of renal damage in streptozotocin induced diabetic mice.” J Ethnopharmacol. 2001 Aug;76(3):233-8).
Prolonged high blood sugar level weakens the immune system in diabetics. Delay in wound healing increases the risk of developing ulcers that are difficult to treat. In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, researchers have found that Tinospora cordifolia speeds up wound healing in diabetics with foot ulcers. (Purandare H, Supe A. “Immunomodulatory role of Tinospora cordifolia as an adjuvant in surgical treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: a prospective randomized controlled study.” Indian J Medical Sci. 2007 Jun;61(6):347-55).
In Ayurveda, Shilajit is referred to as a Rasayana or a rejuvenating substance. It occurs naturally in certain mountain ranges in the world. Shilajit is a powerful antioxidant and immuno-modulator. (Wilson E, Rajamanickam GV, Dubey GP, Klose P, Musial F, Saha FJ, Rampp T, Michalsen A, Dobos GJ. “Review on shilajit used in traditional Indian medicine.” J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Jun 14;136(1):1-9). In diabetics, Shilajit could reduce the risk of health complications and fatigue induced by the metabolic disorder.
Effective Home Remedies for Diabetes
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