Imagine you are eating a dessert or having a milkshake but none of it has its sweetness in it. Now, you might be thinking they were prepared without sugar, well they were prepared normally and had an ample amount of sugar. Then how is it possible that you are not able to taste the sweetness in the beverages even though they contain sugar?
This is the magic of Gymnema leaves. Gymnema Leaves or Gymnema Sylvestre is a woody climbing vine/shrub that is native to the tropical forest of Asia, China, the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, and Australia. It has been used for a very long time as a traditional Ayurvedic Medicine for treating various diseases.
So what does Gymnema leaves actually do? The main active component in Gymnema leaves is Gymnemic acids. These are anti-sweet compounds or sweetness inhibitors. What it does is it tries to suppress the sweetness by blocking the sugar receptors, due to which anything that is sweetened with sugar will feel tasteless. So when consumed before having food, it blocks your sweet receptors, and when you lose the ability to taste something, the food becomes less appealing, thereby reducing intake which helps in weight reduction.
Gymnema leaves also helps keep control of Diabetes. Close to 500 million people suffer from diabetes globally and this number is only expected to rise. It is a metabolic disease characterized by high blood sugar levels. Ineffective usage of Insulin in the body or inability to produce insulin is the main cause of diabetes. Gymnema leaves are considered to have anti-diabetic properties. It has been used as a supplement along with other diabetic medications to lower the sugar levels in the blood. Similar to its action on taste buds, Gymnema leaves can also block receptors in the intestine, thus reducing sugar absorption. Although there isn’t enough scientific evidence to use Gymnema leaves as standalone medication for diabetes, researches conducted till now project strong potential.
Gymnema leaves can also help in insulin secretion and cell regeneration which contribute to its blood-sugar-lowering capabilities. Higher insulin levels can clear sugar from your blood at an alarming rate. In the case of type 2 diabetes, the body is not able to produce enough insulin, which results in high blood sugar levels. Gymnema leaves can help stimulate insulin production in the pancreas, by promoting the regeneration of insulin-producing islet cells which can help lower the blood sugar levels.
Apart from all of these Gymnema leaves can also help improve Cholesterol and Triglyceride Levels which can reduce heart disease risk. All in all, it is very useful and can be used to treat various diseases. Jairamdass Khushiram provides Gymnema leaves as Whole, powder, extract, T-cuts. Although it’s safe for most of the part we recommend consulting a doctor first before taking these in any of the forms.
