Gymnema: How Sweet It Isn't

by Peter Benner, Monteagle Herbs
Gymnema herb (gymnema sylvestre) is an amazing herb that has been used for centuries by Ayurvedic medical practitioners in India.
For diabetics, it can help reduce blood sugar levels and help manage symptoms of diabetes. By chewing on gymnema leaves or taking gymnema powder capsules before eating, you can suppress the taste of sugar. Your sweet foods will no longer taste sweet! Now this seems to me to be of great benefit for those persons who are also hoping to lose weight! If your favourite treat is no longer rewarding you with that sweet, decadent taste, then you won't eat it and therefore won't add to your waistline!
How does gymnema fool your taste buds? The active ingredient in gymnema, gymnemic acid, has molecules that are similar to glucose molecules. They sit in the taste bud's receptor sites for up to two hours and prevent them from being activated.
From there, the molecules travel to the intestine, which has tissue composition similar to that of the taste buds. The gymnemic acid fills the absorptive layer of the intestine, preventing the intestine from absorbing sugar molecules during digestion. Because there is a change in the absorption process, there is a change in the blood sugar levels.
Clinical trials have shown that using gymnema will reduce glycosuria, or carbohydrates in the urine. That is a sure sign that it is working!
So if you want to break the sugar habit, and stabilize blood sugar levels, gymnema can help. The dried leaves are used in daily doses of three to four grams for a period of three months or more.
See our online catalogue for information on how to order gymnema. The article on stevia will give you some ideas for alternatives to sugar.
How sweet it isn't!

Peter Benner
Monteagle Herbs