Agreed, plus general info about Gymnema Sylvestre Re: Tinctures... (Natural Healing & Herbal Solutions w/Unyquity) 10/18/2010 1709069

Agreed, plus general info about Gymnema Sylvestre Re: Tinctures...

Natural Healing & Herbal Solutions w/Unyquity

Clarkia Parasites Tincture
Hulda Clark Parasites Tinctures

Clarkia Parasites Tincture
Hulda Clark Parasites Tinctures

unyquity Views: 4,650
Published: 14 y

This is a reply to # 1,708,438

Agreed, plus general info about Gymnema Sylvestre Re: Tinctures...

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I agree with what Water & Willowley have shared. To add: a quick Google search shows all tinctures of Gymnema (that I saw) are made with alcohol, so 100 proof vodka is 'where it's at'.

I stumbled across this herb about 2 weeks ago and thought of you immediately. But at that point I saw that it lowered blood sugar (but not much else). There's a zillion herbs/substances that lower blood sugar, but our goal is not substituting one bandaid for another, it's to address & correct the cause (and initially I saw nothing that indicated that Gymnema did that). But when researching the tinctures, I came across more info that indicates this herb not only lowers blood sugar, but looks like a truly HEALING herb in that regard (see underlined below and my note in rust). You may have already found that info...if so, it's good to have it posted for others :)

Tincture ON!

Uny

Gymnema

Common names:

Gurmar, Gurmarbooti

Botanical names:

Gymnema sylvestre

Gymnema sylvestre is a woody climbing plant that grows in the tropical forests of central and southern India. The leaves are used in herbal medicine preparations. G. sylvestre is known as "periploca of the woods" in English and meshasringi (meaning "ram's horn") in Sanskrit. The leaves, when chewed, interfere with the ability to taste sweetness, which explains the Hindi name gurmar--"destroyer of sugar."

How It Works

The hypoglycemic (blood sugar-lowering) action of gymnema leaves was first documented in the late 1920s.⁷ This action is attributed to members of a family of substances called gymnemic acids.⁸^{, 9} Gymnema leaves raise insulin levels, according to research in healthy volunteers.¹⁰ Based on animal studies, this may be due to regeneration of the cells in the pancreas that secrete insulin,¹¹^{, 12} or by increasing the flow of insulin from these cells.¹³ Other animal research shows that gymnema can also reduce glucose absorption from the intestine,¹⁴ improve uptake of glucose into cells, and prevent adrenal hormones from stimulating the liver to produce glucose, thereby reducing blood sugar levels. ¹⁵^{, 16}[This last one in italics? It's alters the adrenal function? That's good if it's correcting something that's wrong with the adrenals, but not-so-good if it forces an action that's not natural. So, be sure to keep a close eye on adrenal issues when using this]

Other animal studies have shown that extracts of gymnema leaves can lower serum cholesterol and triglycerides and prevent weight gain,¹⁷^{, 18}^{, 19}^{, 20} but these effects have not been tested in humans. When placed directly on the tongue, gurmarin, another constituent of the leaves, and gymnemic acid have been shown to block the ability in humans to taste sweets.²¹^{, 22}

How to Use It

Clinical trials with diabetics in India have used 400 mg per day of a water-soluble acidic fraction of the gymnema leaves. The gymnemic acid content of this extract is not clear. A recent preliminary trial in the United States reported promising results in a group of type 1 and type 2 diabetics who took 800 mg per day of an extract standardized for 25% gymnemic acids.²³ Traditionally, 2 to 4 grams per day of the leaf powder is used.

1. [No authors listed]Gymnema sylvestre. Altern Med Rev 1999;4:46–7.

2. Shanmugasundaram ERB, Rajeswari G, Baskaran K, et al. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:281–94.

3. Joffe DJ, Freed SH. Effect of extended release gymnema sylvestre leaf extract (Beta Fast GXR) alone or in combination with oral hypoglycemics or insulin regimens for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes In: Control Newsletter 2001;76:no page number.

4. Baskaran K, Ahmath BK, Shanmugasundaram KR, Shanmugasundaram ERB. Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:295–305.

5. Shanmugasundaram ERB, Rajeswari G, Baskaran K, et al. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract in the control of blood glucose insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:281–94.

6. Joffe DJ, Freed SH. Effect of extended release gymnema sylvestre leaf extract (Beta Fast GXR) alone or in combination with oral hypoglycemics or insulin regimens for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes In ControlNewsletter 2001;76:no page number.

7. Mhasker KS, Caius JF. A study of Indian medicinal plants. II. Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. Indian J Med Res Memoirs 1930;16:2–75.

8. Sugihara Y, Nojima H, Matsuda H, et al. Antihyperglycemic effects of gymnemic acid IV, a compound derived from Gymnema sylvestre leaves in streptozotocin-diabetic mice. J Asian Nat Prod Res 2000;2:321–7.

9. Murakami N, Murakami T, Kadoya M, et al. New hypoglycemic constituents in "gymnemic acid" from Gymnema sylvestre. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1996;44:469–71.

10. Shanmugasundaram KR, Panneerselvam C, Sumudram P, Shanmugasundaram ERB. Insulinotropic activity of G. sylvestre, R.Br. and Indian medicinal herb used in controlling diabetes mellitus. Pharmacol Res Commun 1981;13:475–86.

11. Shanmugasundaram ER, Gopinath KL, Radha Shanmugasundaram K, Rajendran VM. Possible regeneration of the islets of Langerhans in streptozotocin diabetic rats given Gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts. J Ethnopharmacol 1990;30:265–79.

12. Prakash AO, Mather S, Mather R. Effect of feeding Gymnema sylvestre leaves on blood glucose in beryllium nitrate treated rats. J Ethnopharmacol 1986;18:143–4.

13. Persaud SJ, Al-Majed H, Raman A, Jones PM. Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin release in vitro by increased membrane permeability. J Endocrinol 1999;163:207–12.

14. Shimizu K, Iino A, Nakajima J, et al. Suppression of glucose absorption by some fractions extracted from Gymnema sylvestre leaves. J Vet Med Sci 1997;59:245–51.

15. [No authors listed]. Gymnema sylvestre. Alt Med Rev 1999;4:46–7 [review].

16. Gholap S, Kar A. Effects of Inula racemosa root and Gymnema sylvestre leaf extracts in the regulation of corticosteroid induced diabetes mellitus: involvement of thyroid hormones. Pharmazie 2003;58:413–5.

17. Bishayee A, Chatterjee M. Hypolipidemic and antiatherosclerotic effects of oral Gymnema sylvestre R.Br. leaf extract in albino rats fed on a high fat diet. Phytother Res 1994;8:118–20.

18. Shigematsu N, Asano R, Shimosaka M, Okazaki M. Effect of administration with the extract of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br leaves on lipid metabolism in rats. Biol Pharm Bull 2001;24:713–7.

19. Shigematsu N, Asano R, Shimosaka M, Okazaki M. Effect of long term-administration with Gymnema sylvestre R. BR on plasma and liver lipid in rats. Biol Pharm Bull 2001;24:643–9.

20. Nakamura Y, Tsumura Y, Tonogai Y, Shibata T. Fecal steroid excretion is increased in rats by oral administration of gymnemic acids contained in Gymnema sylvestre leaves. J Nutr 1999;129:1214–22.

21. Min BC, Sakamoto K. Influence of sweet suppressing agent on gustatory brain evoked potentials generated by taste stimuli. Appl Human Sci 1998;17:9–17.

22. Gent JF, Hettinger TP, Frank ME, Marks LE. Taste confusions following gymnemic acid rinse. Chem Senses 1999;24:393–403.

23. Joffe DJ, Freed SH. Effect of extended release gymnema sylvestre leaf extract (Beta Fast GXR) alone or in combination with oral hypoglycemics or insulin regimens for type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes In Control Newsletter 2001;76:no page number.