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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