A herbal used in traditional Indian medicine to treat diabetes seems to lower blood sugar and insulin levels in the same way as prescription drugs.
A 1,000mg dose of the herb Salacia oblonga decreased insulin levels in healthy adults by 29 per cent and blood glucose levels by 23 per cent, report US researchers.
“These kinds of reductions are similar to what we might see with prescription oral medications for people with diabetes,” said author Steve Hertzler, an assistant professor of nutrition at Ohio State University.
The study, published in the January issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association (vol 105, issue 1, pp65-71) was funded by the Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories. Hertzler is carrying out further work on the herb, native to regions of India and Sri Lanka, for the US company.
