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Gymnema sylvestre, an anti-diabetic slimming supplement
Without dietary changes or increasing the amount of exercise, supplementation with 2 capsules Gymnema sylvestre extract can induce a weight loss of 3 kilos. Mexican physiologists discovered this, experimenting with two dozen people in a pre-stage of type 2 diabetes.
Gymnema sylvestre
Gymnema sylvestre is a shrub that grows in India. Extracts from the leaves of Gymnema sylvestre contain steroid-like substances such as gymnemagenin and gymnemic acid. According to in vitro and animal studies, these substances inhibit the production of enzymes with which the body absorbs fats and carbohydrates from food.
That may explain why traditional healers have been using Gymnema sylvestre for centuries as a medicine for type 2 diabetes.
Study
The researchers, who were affiliated with the University of Guadalajara, experimented with 12 people aged 30-60 for 12 weeks. The test subjects were not yet given medication, but were well on their way to getting type 2 diabetes. They were too fat and their sensitivity to insulin was low.
The researchers gave half of the test subjects a placebo. The other half were given a capsule with 300 milligrams of Gymnema sylvestre extract at breakfast, and another one at dinner. In total, the subjects used 600 milligrams of Gymnema sylvestre per day. The researchers used a Swanson product. [swansonvitamins.com] However, Swanson did not sponsor the research.
Results
The supplement with Gymnema sylvestre reduced the body weight of the test subjects by 3.4 kilos.
The circumference of the drug increased by a significant 3 centimeters in the subjects in the placebo group. In the experimental group, it decreased by a non-significant 3 centimeters.
Mechanism
The concentration of VLDL in the experimental group decreased by a quarter. That effect was statistically significant, and suggests that Gymnema sylvestre reduces glucose uptake. Another indication for this is that insulin sensitivity further deteriorated in the placebo group, while it remained constant in the experimental group.
Conclusion
"In conclusion, results of this trial demonstrate the potential of Gymnema sylvestre to reduce body weight [...] levels", the researchers write. "In addition, it could be used as a food additive that may play a role in the antiobesity effect. However, further studies are needed to assess longer term efficacy and safety."
Source:
J Med Food. 2017 Aug;20(8):750-4.
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