Herbs With Claims to Lower Blood Glucose

The long-term complications of uncontrolled diabetes are well known – damage to eyes, kidneys, nerves, blood vessels, and other organs. Most of this damage is attributed to chronic elevated blood glucose levels. Type II diabetics and pre-diabetics are aware of these dangers and sometimes consider adding herbal therapy, to their doctor prescribed medication, to “tweak” blood sugar lowering effects and possibly prevent complications. Sometimes patients may try herbs and other supplements because they want to use a more “natural” treatment to control their blood sugars.

The strength and dose of herbal products vary and your pharmacist can assist you in selecting products, discussing dosage ranges, and preventing any herb-drug interactions. Herbal products can also vary greatly from batch-to-batch and it is always preferred to purchase a quality name brand product that has been assayed and standardized in regard to active ingredient. The bottom line is that there must be some assurance that you are purchasing a product that will consistently deliver a specified dose of active herb.

Type I diabetics who require insulin generally should not add herbs with blood sugar lowering effects to their treatment because of the serious potential for life -threatening hypoglycemia (extremely low blood sugar) or other medical complications.

Regardless of the reasons for using these specific herbs, one must always keep their doctor and pharmacist “in the loop” to prevent any hypoglycemic reactions and dangerous or toxic interactions. Hypoglycemic reactions are dangerous and can be deadly.

There are several noteworthy herbs that are claimed to have blood sugar lowering effects. These herbs are not generally used in Western herbal medicine and are more common in Ayurvedic Medicine and Oriental Medicine. The exact mechanism of action in lowering blood sugar is often not known. In addition, these herbs may not work well for everyone and their overall effect may vary in individuals. Side effects can also be patient specific and a combination of these herbs may be required to obtain the desired effect. Commercial herbal combinations are available and often contain antioxidants, zinc, chromium, vanadyl sulfate, and other minerals or vitamins that may be beneficial to diabetics.

Glucometer blood sugar monitoring, especially fasting samples and the two-hour after meal (postprandial) sampling, are usually necessary until blood sugar levels are under control. However, always follow your physician’s advice regarding the frequency of glucometer testing. Hemoglobin A1c values should also be monitored by your physician to follow blood glucose levels over the long haul.

Agaricus Mushroom (Agaricus blazei):

This mushroom has shown evidence of lowering blood glucose.

Aloe Vera (Aloe):

Aloe Vera is a member of the Lily family even though it resembles a cactus. There are over 240 species of Aloe, but only four species are recognized as having nutritional value with Aloe barbadensis leading the group.

Preliminary research suggests aloe gel might lower blood glucose levels. Dose is usually (15-30 ml (50 mg) per day.

American Ginseng:

A very popular herb in Chinese medicine. Recent studies have shown that Ginseng may be helpful in reducing blood sugar levels in Type II diabetic patients. For diabetes, ginsengosides and possibly other constituents are thought to reduce postprandial glucose levels. This effect might be due to either tissue insulin sensitization or direct stimulation of insulin release or both of these mechanisms. The effect of various ginsengs on glucose appears to be related in part to the mix of ginsenosides. Other non-ginsenoside constituents likely affect blood glucose as well.

For reducing postprandial glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, 3-9 grams up to 2-hours before a meal has been used. However, there is no added benefit to taking more than 3 grams. Other studies suggest taking ginseng 40 minutes prior to meal to obtain the optimal effect. Irregardless, American ginseng should be taken within two hours of a meal to avoid potential hypoglycemia.

Bilberry (Huckleberry):

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) has been used in traditional European medicine for nearly a thousand years, primarily to treat diarrhea. Bilberry contains a powerful antioxidant that helps to promote circulation in the eyes. Studies on diabetic dogs have also indicated benefits in reducing blood sugar levels. Use Bilberry standardized at 25% anothocyanins for maximum potency.

Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia):

A member of the Cucurbitaceae family, the plant grows in tropical areas, including parts of the Amazon Basin, Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and South America. The bitter melon grows as a vine bearing green leaves and yellow flowers with oblong green fruit that resemble a cucumber.

Bitter melon has a long history of use as a hypoglycemic agent in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where the plant extract has been referred to as vegetable insulin. Although several constituents of bitter melon have hypoglycemic properties, most interest has focused on a polypeptide isolated from the seeds called polypeptide-p and a mixture of two steroid glycosides referred to as charantin. At least three different compounds in Bitter Melon have been reported to have sugar-regulating properties. Gurmarin, in particular, is a polypeptide considered to be similar to bovine insulin.

Blond Psyllium (Blond Plantago):

Blond psyllium seed husk orally seems to significantly reduce postprandial serum glucose, insulin levels, serum total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in patients with Type II diabetes and hypercholesterolemia

Blond psyllium seems to reduce postprandial blood glucose levels by about 14% to 20%, total cholesterol by about 9%, and LDL cholesterol by 13%. Blonde psyllium also seems to lower postprandial glucose levels in patients with Type I diabetes. Blond psyllium’s maximum effect on the glucose levels occurs when psyllium is mixed and consumed with foods. Blond psyllium does not lower postprandial glucose in people who do not have diabetes.

Cinnamon Bark (Cassia Cinnamon):

Cinnamon is getting a lot of attention as a treatment for diabetes. There is preliminary evidence that it can lower blood glucose and cholesterol levels in people with type 2 diabetes. So far, this benefit has only been found with Cassia Cinnamon (Chinese Cinnamon) in humans. As little as

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