Herbs for Metabolic Syndrome

Exciting find of Medicinal Herbs on Gaya Brahamyoni Hill

Researchers in India have found an array of medicinal plants growing on a site which has been used by traditional healers for centuries. They have been most excited about finding a plant they call 'Gurmar' growing in abundance.

Gurmar is the hindi name for the medicinal plant Gymnema sylvestre, Gurmar translates as 'sugar destroyer' which may give you a clue as to how this herb functions.

Gymnema is considered a 'anti-diabetic' herb that can reduce blood sugar by using a constituent called gymnemic acid. This acid can occupy receptor sites in the intestines and this leads to fewer cravings for sweet, sugary foods. The result of this is that the intestine absorbs fewer sugar molecules and blood sugar levels are lowered.

Other phytochemicals in Gymnema contribute to the blood sugar lowering (hypoglycaemic) effect, flavonoids are antioxidant in action and saponins regulate lipid metabolism.

An anti-diabetic drug has been developed called BGR-34, this Ayurvedic medicine claims to improve metabolic syndrome by reducing obesity, lowering blood sugar levels and improving the metabolic speed.

These sound like exciting developments in the field of herbal medicine and I do detect a distinct change in the general attitude to herbal remedies of late. Herbal products appear to be slipping more into the mainstream and I think their past marginalisation could be due to an identity issue.

Herbal remedies or herbal medicine are perhaps terms that some may associate with hippies, alternative medicine or even mystical, magical practices. These sort of 'folk medicines' seems to suggest a primitive approach and lack of scientific rigour. Perhaps this is a matter of semantics, if we call them 'drugs of plant origin', does that make a difference?

Metformin is a well-known drug used for treating Type 2 diabetes, it acts to lower blood sugar levels by changing the way the body handles insulin. As with so many drugs we still use in conventional medicine, Metformin has it origins in the plant kingdom and originates from Galega officinalis or 'Goat's Rue'.

This use of this beautiful plant can be traced back to the 17th century when it was used to treat 'sweet urine'. Goat's Rue contains the alkaloid galegine which has since been isolated, leading to the development of the drug metformin.

Ancient wisdom often prevails and modern researchers are confirming in their own language what has been known for centuries. The search for treatments for the increasingly prevalent metabolic disorders has now turned its attention to plant potential, one journal discusses the potential of botanical drugs to modulate metabolic pathways and address metabolic disorders.

For more information on the herbal treatment of metabolic disorders, please read my previous post 'Is there a Natural Ozempic?'