15 Unique Health Benefits of Gymnema Sylvestre

Gymnema sylvestre grows in the southern and central tropical forests of India. The leaves of this woody climbing plant have been used in India for a long time. Its nickname is the “sugar destroyer” because of its purported ability to suppress sweet tastes.

This herb has been used in traditional medicine As all should know about this herb that it is used for treatment of diabetes for over 2000 years . Extracts of Gymnema leaf is key ingredient in various folk medicines. It is one of the miracle plants which kills/paralyzes temporarily sensation of sweet. Gymnema means “naked” and sylvestre “from the forest” in Latin.

One of the best herbs to help get sugar cravings under control is gymnema sylvestre. Gymnema is an Ayurvedic herb used traditionally to treat diabetes, digestion, urinary tract problems, obesity and hypoglycemia. It is unique in  term that it actually helps block the taste of sugar and its absorption by the body. There is a link between the taste buds and the absorption of sugar in the intestines.

Gymnemic acid, found in gymnema, has a molecular structure similar to sugar. These molecules fill in the receptors on the taste buds temporarily, preventing the taste buds from being activated by the sugar eaten. It can be found in capsule form or as a liquid extract.

This herb is believed to have a variety of benefits apart from above, such as aiding in weight loss and possessing lipid-lowering, antiallergenic and antiviral properties.

Other Common Names Of This Herb

The Hindi name Gurmar, in Sanskrit it is called as Madhunashini, in Urdu-Gurmar, in Malayalam called as Chakkarakolli and in Telugu as Podapatri, literally mean “sugar destroyer”.

Plant Description

This is a woody, climbing vine with ovate or elliptic leaves. The flowers are yellow in color and have a bell shape.

Plant Parts Used

The roots and leaves of this plant are used for herbal purposes.

Properties

Gymnema sylvestre has a long history of use in herbal medicine and a broad range of therapeutic properties.

Gymnema sylvestre leaves contain triterpenoid saponins, chlorophyll, amino acids, flavonols, and gurmarin. The major biologically active plant molecules are gymnemic acids, a class of triterpenoid saponins, which have the effect of suppressing the taste of sweetness on the tongue from sucrose (sugar) to stevia, xylitol, and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.

The sweet-blocking effect of Gymnema sylvestre lasts from 15 minutes to 50 minutes and may even persist for several hours. There is no indication that gymnemic acids have long-term effects on taste and they do not influence bitter, salty, and sour taste perception.

Apart from this miraculous property, the plant has other medicinal uses too. The health benefits of gymnema are sought, its use would be more popularized.

Some of the important health benefits of gymnema plant include its use for treatment of type 2 diabetes, treatment of diabetes mellitus, regulation of blood sugar, stimulation of insulin secretion, its use as antimicrobial, antiviral, natural food for obesity, reduction of cholesterol, anti-inflammatory property, treating gastrointestinal problems, skin problems and other benefits.

Here Are Gymnema Sylvestre Important Health Benefits

There are several health benefits of Gymnema Sylvestre. Here are have noted down a few common health benefits.

1. Natural Anti-Inflammatory Medicine

Gymnema sylvestre is one of the woody climbing plants, that is indigenous to the tropical forests of India. The leaves of the gymnema plant are used in herbal preparations. It contains anti-inflammatory properties, thus showing its protective effect in protecting body parts from free radicals. It has been used traditionally in treatment of asthma, eye complaints, osteoporosis, hypercholesterolemia, cardiopathy, constipation, microbial infections, indigestion.

2. Lowers Elevated Blood Sugar Levels

Gymnema has few anti-atherosclerotic actions that may be responsible for several important health-related actions. Gymnema Sylvestre Supplement has hypoglycemic action, which means that it helps lower elevated blood sugar levels. This may be especially important in diabetics. Gymnema sylvestre also helps reduce the amount of lipids in your bloodstream.

Gymnema sylvestre is also responsible to treat type 2 diabetes generally diabetes mellitus type 2 or non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose due to insulin resistance and relative insulin deficiency and is often caused by a combination of lifestyle and genetic factors. The leaves of Gymnema contains properties which help reduce sugar cravings and is found effective in controlling hyperglycemia in Type 2 diabetics patients. Hence it helps cure and also to prevent type 2 diabetes that is linked with elevated blood sugar levels.

3. Gymnema Sylvestre For Treatment Of Type 1 Diabetes

In type I diabetes, cell in pancreas doesn’t produce insulin, thus leading to increase in blood and urine glucose, as the sugar cannot be absorbed by body. It also affects metabolism of fats and proteins and increases risk of other vascular disease.

Gymnema contains antioxidant properties that generally stimulates Islets of Langerhans – cells in pancreas which secretes insulin and hence finds use in treatment of type I diabetes or insulin dependent diabetes.

It also increases membrane permeability of cells that secrete insulin. Gymnema leaf extract treats patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and its possible use in treatment of type 1 diabetes can help prevent and treat the same.

4. Gymnema Helps Reduce Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance which is made in the body by the liver but is also found in some foods. It plays a vital role  working of every cell and is also needed to make Vitamin D, some hormones and bile for digestion. However, too much cholesterol in the blood can increase your risk of getting heart and circulatory diseases. to reduce this Gymnema Sylvestre is used widely across the world.

Generally Gymnema Sylvestre contains few antioxidant properties which avoids an absorption of harmful cholesterol and also triglycerides in intestine and thus results in excretion of cholesterol. The whole antiatherosclerotic potential of gymnema is used to reduce risk of cholesterol deposition in heart arteries.

5. Helps Improve High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure or hypertension as it is more commonly known , affects over 2 million adults in India. High blood pressure is one of the critical medical conditions that can cause a stroke, heart attack, coronary heart disease, heart failure, kidney failure and other serious health problems. The common signs of high blood pressure include a severe headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, vision changes and nose bleeds. Cardiovascular disease is reaching epidemic proportions in the nation.

Of the controllable risk factors, hypertension obviously deserves especial focus, since it affects so many persons. Gymnemic acids in Gymnema Sylvestre block the activities of angiotensin II (a protein that is responsible for enhancing blood pressure) and aid in reducing high blood pressure.

6. Gymnema In PCOD- Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOD) is also known as Stein-Leventhal is a related ovary syndrome in women. Generally found in obese women, 30% to 40% of them have been found impaired to the glucose tolerance levels . Gymnema has anti oxidant properties that are helpful in reducing carbohydrate and sugar cravings that help in fighting against it. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS can result in infertility issues among women. In addition to eating the PCOS managing diet, supplements have also been needed for better results.

Gymnema has been used since hundreds of years for reducing high blood sugar levels and proved to be effective in helping those fighting against the PCOD syndrome. The polycystic ovary syndrome has focused on the use of Gymnema medication for its treatment. This herbs has been found to increase insulin sensitivity include among those with insulin resistance or polycystic ovarian syndrome.

7. Regularizes Bowel Movement

A bowel movement is the last stop in movement of the food through the digestive tract. The stool passes out of the human body through the anus and rectum. It is made of what is left after the digestive system (small intestine, stomach, and colon) which absorbs fluids and nutrients from everything whatever you drink and eat. Gymnemic acid compound of Gymnema Sylvestre immensely helps regularizes bowel movement and prevent constipation and improper digestion.

Inculcation of nutritious Gymnema Sylvestre in a healthy diet is sure to fulfill most of the body’s essential nutritional requirements.

8. Protection For Liver

The liver is a large, meaty organ that sits on the right side of the belly. Weighing about 3 pounds, the liver is reddish-brown in color and feels rubbery to the touch. Normally you can’t feel the liver, because it’s protected by the rib cage.

Gymnema Sylvestre Supplement possesses hepatoprotective properties and helpful as tonic for protection of your liver. As all know that Paliyar tribals located in Sirumalai hills of India, use gymnema leaves for treatment of jaundice because of their hepatoprotective properties.

9. Gymnema Is Used For Skin Diseases

The Gymnema Sylvestre capsules contains few antibacterial properties that are used in treating skin disorders and infections, which are common in diabetes. It has been used as one of the natural remedy for leucoderma or white patches on skin. Extracts of gymnema often finds its use as ingredient in skin cosmetics.

10. Natural Food Against Obesity

Obesity is due to accumulation of fats and carbohydrates. Obesity is often genetic and also common in people with diabetes. A hypothesis is that there is a common link between diabetes, gymnemic acid and obesity; and medicines useful for reducing diabetes are useful to reduce obesity.

Gymnemic acid in Gymnema sylvestre reduces absorption of glucose in blood. It reduces sugar craving which is common in obese people. It also acts in suppression of appetite.

  “Can Gymnema extract be used for weight loss”?

With its action on glucose and fat metabolism, suppression of taste buds and appetite, Gymnema is believed to reduce weight. Some lab results have confirms such claims. Gymnema results in secretion of excess sugar from body and avoids it from getting deposited as fats in body. Gymnema sylvestre as a new weight loss products have already hit the market.

11. Antimicrobial Activity

An antimicrobial is an agent that kills microorganisms or stops their growth.Antimicrobial medicines like Gymnema sylvestre extract can be grouped according to the microorganisms that act primarily against. Gymnema extract have antimicrobial activity and protects against various strains of bacteria. Tribes in western hilly regions of India uses gymnema leaves as home remedy for herpes, suggesting its antiviral activity. You can try for INLIFE™ Gymnema Sylvestre capsules for an easy way to get all those Antimicrobial Activities in your body.

12. Gymnema Sylvestre And Aging

Gymnema Sylvestre helps with aging. This extract also help protect the osmotic lens from damage. It has few anti-aging and also antioxidant properties that are very helpful.

Additionally, Gymnema sylvestre helps improve the effects of experimentally induced colitis, which may be caused to believe it can help decrease the issues associated with natural colitis in the aging adult community.

When Gymnema is ingested as an antioxidant, it can decrease the blood glucose and lipid peroxidation levels diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, a condition commonly caused by aging in humans.

13. May Help Reduce The Symptoms Of Arthritis And Gout

Gymnema is a traditional treatment for these joint problems and many patients report success with taking it as a preventative before their their arthritis usually flares up. It has anti inflammatory properties that helps arthritis and gout. Gymnema is generally used to help treat gout and arthritis and any joint pain issues. It may also help with the retention of water because it is a diuretic. This can also lead to weight loss too.

14. Preventive Role Against Hyperlipidaemia And Coronary Diseases

The discovery of gymnema’s lipid- and cholesterol-lowering properties opens up promising new prospects for the prevention and treatment of several diseases. Few properties By reducing lipid levels, this Ayurvedic plant may help fight hyperlipidaemia, a process involved in coronary diseases. Gymnema sylvestris may, in particular, prevent excess lipids and cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries.

15. For Pancreas

Your pancreas gland is an essential member of the digestive and endocrine systems and is situated just behind the stomach and in front of your spinal column. One of its primary functions is to produce insulin and glucagon, hormones that control blood sugar levels. The pancreas also creates digestive enzymes without which the intestines are unable to process food. Diseases of the pancreas include pancreatic cancer, diabetes and pancreatitis.

Above all are the health benefits of Gymnema sylvestre. By using Gymnema sylvestre regularly you can get more benefits.