Gudmar

HABITAT

Gymnema sylvestre, which originated in Indian, has a natural occurrence in the tropical forests of Central India, Western Ghats, and Southern India and in the southern part of China, tropical Africa, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka. The plant grows best in areas with a high to average rainfall.

INTRODUCTION

Gudmar was initially known as Meshashringi in Sanskrit, which means “ram’s horn”. It came to be known as "destroyer of sugar" in ancient times. Gudmar is a wood climbing shrub whose leaves are used for medicinal purposes. Gudmar or Gurmar is considered to be a magical remedy for diabetic patients as it is highly effective in both type I and type II diabetes mellitus.

BENEFITS

Manages Diabetes: The exceptional antidiabetic characteristics of Gudmar leaves are used as an effective supplement to regulate blood sugar spikes and metabolic syndrome. It promotes insulin response to food. It can also block receptors in intestine and lower sugar absorption thereby controlling postprandial blood sugar levels, while it is also effective in stabilising HbA1C, fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels. Apart from this, Gudmar leaves restore insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells and also repairs the damaged beta cells.

Curb Sugar Cravings: Gudmar is greatly valued for its amazing potential to reduce the perception of sweet flavour and lower cravings for sweets and sugars. In traditional medicine Gudmar leaves were given to patients with ketosis when they experienced occasional sweet tooth and were found beneficial by avoiding sugar treats by making it less appetising.

Augments Heart Health: Gudmar is beneficial in diminishing the harmful cholesterol and triglycerides in the intestine and also helpful in excreting cholesterol. The anti-atherosclerotic activity of Gudmar averts formation of plaque in the arteries and lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Promotes Weight loss: Gudmar extracts works effectively to burn fat and shed excess weight. Studies have shown that gudmar leaves exhibit anti-obesity effect that prevent weight gain and enhance overall health markers associated with being overweight. The supplements when consumed before a meal reduces food intake and manages weight by triggering the central nervous system, that regulates stress, corrects disrupt sleep and alter cortisol levels.

Potent Antioxidant Effects: A storehouse of antioxidants, Gudmar combats detrimental toxins from oxidising healthy cells and prevent oxidative stress in the body. The presence of beneficial plant compounds tannins and saponins in Gudmar supplements lowers inflammation and reduces the risk of chronic diseases and metabolic syndrome. Moreover, Gudmar supplements also regulate the immune response and keep infections at bay.

MECHANISM OF ACTION

The anti-diabetic property of the plant is attributed to the presence of mixture of triterpenes and saponins in the leaves. These have been designated as Gymnemic acids A, B, C and D, which have the gymnemagenin and gymnestrogenins. This is attributed to the ability of Gymnemic acids to delay the glucose absorption in the blood. The atomic arrangement of Gymnemic acid molecules is similar to that of glucose molecules. These molecules fill the receptor locations on the taste buds thereby preventing its activation by sugar molecules present in the food, thereby curbing the sugar craving. Similarly, Gymnemic acid molecules fill the receptor location in the absorptive external layers of the intestine thereby preventing the sugar molecules absorption by the intestine, which results in low blood sugar level.

CLINICAL STUDIES & REFERENCES

Kumar SN, Mani UV, Mani I, An open label study on the supplementation of Gymnema sylvestre in type 2 diabetics. J Diet Suppl. 2010;7(3):273-82. doi:10.3109/19390211.2010.505901.
Brala PM, Hagen RL. Effects of sweetness perception and caloric value of a preload on short term intake. Physiol Behav. 1983;30(1):1-9. doi:10.1016/0031-9384(83)90030-6
Kumar et al. (2013), Anti-obesity Effect of Gymnema sylvestre Extract on High Fat Diet-induced Obesity in Wistar Rats. Drug Res (Stuttg) 2013; 63(12): 625-632, DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1349852.
Miyasaka, A., and T. Imoto.1995, Electrophysiological characterization of the inhibitory effect of a novel peptide gurmarin on the sweet taste response in rats. Brain Res.676:63–68
Yamad, H., and T. Imoto. 1986. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre extracts on sweettaste perception in the rat, hamster, and man. Chem. Senses 10:134.
Shanrnugasundaram, E.R.B., G. Rajeswari, B.R. Bhaskaran, R. Kumar, K.R.Shanmugasundaram, and B.K. Ahmath. 1990. Use of Gymnema sylvestre leaf extract inthe control of blood glucose in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J. Ethnopharmacol.30:281–294