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| Ayurvedic medicine for
diabetes |
| by: goldie |
For Salacia Oblonga herb Capsules and
Extract Write to Botanika
herbalpowders@operamail.com
treeseeds@operamail.com
treeseeds@rediffmail.com : : : :
WWW.SALACIAOBLONGACAPSULES.COM
Traditional Indian medicine, herb Salacia
oblonga may help treat diabetes Posted
By: News-Medical in Medical Study News
Published: Tuesday, 8-Feb-2005 Printer
Friendly Email to a Friend : : : : Herbs
used in traditional Indian medicine to
treat diabetes seems to lower blood sugar
and insulin levels in a manner similar to
prescription drugs, a new study reports.
Researchers gave extracts of the herb
Salacia oblonga to 39 healthy adults, and
the results were promising. The largest
dose of the herb extract - 1,000
milligrams - decreased insulin and blood
glucose levels by 29 and 23 percent,
respectively. : : "These kinds of
reductions are similar to what we might
see with prescription oral medications
for people with diabetes," said
Steve Hertzler, a study co-author and an
assistant professor of nutrition at Ohio
State University. : : Salacia oblonga,
which is native to regions of India and
Sri Lanka, binds to intestinal enzymes
that break down carbohydrates in the
body. 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 blood stream, resulting in lowered
blood glucose and insulin levels. : :
"Lowering blood glucose levels
lowers the risk of disease-related
complications in people with
diabetes," Hertzler said.
"Also, poor compliance with diabetes
medications often hinders the
effectiveness of these drugs. It may be
easier to get someone to take an herb
with food or in a beverage, as opposed to
a pill." : : The study appears in a
recent issue of the Journal of the
American Dietetic Association. : :
Thirty-nine healthy adults participated
in four separate meal tolerance tests.
These meals, which were given in beverage
form, were spaced three to 14 days apart.
Each participant fasted for at least 10
hours before consuming the test beverage.
: : Participants were asked to drink
about two cups' worth of the chilled
beverage, which contained zero, 500, 700
or 1,000 milligrams of Salacia oblonga
extract. Afterward, the researchers used
the finger-prick method to draw blood
samples from each person every 15 to 30
minutes for three hours. These blood
samples were used to determine insulin
and blood glucose concentrations. The
biggest changes in blood glucose and
insulin levels usually happen within the
first two hours after eating. : : The
beverage that contained the highest
concentration of the herbal extract -
1,000 milligrams - provided the most
dramatic reduction in insulin and blood
glucose levels. Insulin levels were 29
percent lower, while blood glucose levels
were 23 percent lower as compared to the
control drink, which contained no herbal
extract. : : As Salacia oblonga can cause
intestinal gas, the researchers had the
study participants collect breath
hydrogen samples hourly for eight hours
after drinking the test beverage. The
participants collected their breath in
small plastic tubes. The researchers then
analyzed these breath samples for
hydrogen and methane content - the level
of either substance in the breath
corresponds to the level contained in the
colon. : : The subjects also rated the
frequency and intensity of nausea,
abdominal cramping and distention and gas
for two days after consuming each test
meal. : : While the test beverages
containing Salacia oblonga caused an
increase in breath hydrogen excretion,
reports of gastrointestinal discomfort
were minimal, Hertzler said. : : Right
now he and his colleagues are trying to
figure out what dose of the herb is most
effective, and when it should be taken
relative to a meal. : : "We want to
know how long it takes for the herb to
bind to the enzymes that break down
carbohydrates," Hertzler said.
"The participants in this study took
the herb with their meal, but maybe
taking it before eating would be even
more effective." : : The researchers
also want to study the effects of Salacia
oblonga in people with diabetes. : :
"A lot of studies show that lowering
blood sugar levels reduces the risk for
all kinds of diabetes-related
complications, such as kidney disease and
nerve and eye damage," Hertzler
said. "We want to see if this herb
has this kind of effect." : :
Salacia oblonga is still relatively
difficult to find in the United States,
Hertzler said, although there are
manufacturers that sell the herb through
the Internet. : : This study was
supported by the Ross Products Division
of Abbott Laboratories in Columbus. : :
Hertzler is continuing to conduct Salacia
oblonga studies with the Ross Products
Division of Abbott Laboratories. He has
no links to the company beyond this
affiliation. : : Hertzler conducted the
work with former Ohio State colleague
Patricia Heacock, who is now at Rutgers,
the State University of New Jersey;
Jennifer Williams, a clinical scientist
with Ross Products Division, Abbott
Laboratories; and Bryan Wolf, a former
research scientists with Ross Products
Division
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