Sugar handling issues affect the body in different ways. Are you dealing with a recent diabetes diagnosis? Or having a hard time with sugar cravings? Maybe you’ve just noticed it’s tougher to shed stubborn weight. Gymnema could be the answer you’re searching for!
Gymnema is one of our favorite herbs for helping with any of these sugar handling issues. It is a climbing plant with stems reaching up to 8 meters in length, found across India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and South Africa. Both its leaves and roots are used in herbal preparations. Gymnema is widely regarded as the premier herb for pancreatic support, and has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 2000 years.
Therapeutic Effects of Gymnema
When consumed orally, Gymnema temporarily numbs the sweet taste buds on your tongue for one to two hours. It stops your tongue from sensing the sweetness, and changes the way your brain perceives the taste. The result? Chocolate, candy, or anything else sweet quickly tastes like plastic, cardboard, or even worse. It’s a fun experiment to try, because it really works!
Blood Sugar Regulation
Known as gurmar in Hindi, which means ‘sugar destroyer,’ Gymnema contains a group of compounds known as gymnemic acids. These molecules are responsible for the sweet-cancelling properties, and provide beneficial effects in diabetes. This herb has a remarkable ability to anesthetize your sweet taste buds, making the expected sweet sugar taste undetectable by the brain.
In a notable study, Gymnema normalized fasting blood glucose levels within 20-60 days in diabetes-induced rats. The study observed improvements to insulin levels and an increase in pancreatic beta cell count. The study illustrates Gymnema’s potential role to restore damaged pancreatic tissue. In a meta analysis covering 10 studies, Gymnema significantly reduced fasting blood glucose, post-meal blood glucose, Hemoglobin A1c, and triglycerides. These are the key markers we watch for people with inflammation and sugar handling issues!
Gymnema works in two ways. First, it disrupts sugar transport in the small intestine to block sugar absorption. This results in reduced blood sugar levels and enhanced glycemic control. Additionally, it promotes the long-term restoration of pancreatic beta cells. Due to its restorative effects, it also may help with reactive hypoglycemia.
Weight Loss and Other Supplements
Gymnema is a popular herb for use in weight loss. We often recommend it for our clients who need an extra bump in their appetite control. We especially like to combine it with Diaplex to provide whole-food support for the pancreas and liver. It’s also a very affordable option when compared to other effective supplements like Metabol Complex, Berberine Active, or Gluco-Resolve.
When you combine Gymnema with other supplements like Milk Thistle Forte, Rhodiola-Ginseng, and/or Goldenseal, it potentially improves insulin resistance even more than with Gymnema alone! This is because of the synergistic and related effects you get from promoting liver functions, adrenal strength, heat shock proteins, and gut dysbiosis.
Cholesterol Benefits
Gymnema also has benefits for cholesterol levels – specifically for the triglycerides. This is due to its ability to sequester cholesterol in the digestive tract, reducing absorption. Multiple studies show benefits for total cholesterol, LDLs, and triglycerides. Plus, of course we know that reducing sugar intake also reduces inflammation and elevated cholesterol. There’s really no limit to the benefits you could experience by adding Gymnema!
Bottom Line
If you’re tired of fighting sugar cravings and over-indulging with sweets, check our our online store and order a bottle of Gymnema. You’ll very quickly notice the results! We know you’ll enjoy kicking those sugar cravings to the curb!