It's common name is Gymnema from the family Apocynaceae. This plant is a troical vining plant that has been traditionally used for 2000 years to support blood sugar regulation, curb sweet cravings, and improve digestion and metabolism.
It is an Ayurvedic remedy, probably one of the most common herbs to treat diabetes. It is known as "Gurmar", meaning the sugar destroyer.
It's constituents (or components) of the herb includes Gurmarin and Gymnemic Acid. Gurmarin is a small polypeptide that is isolated from Gymnema sylvestre leaves. It selectively suppresses sweet tastes by modulating taste-bud signalling. It does this by changing how the taste cells communicate with the nerves that send sweetness signals to the brain (kind of like turning the volume down).
Gymnemic Acid, on the other hand, consists of saponins concentrated in the leaves and acts on two main sites in the body: the tongue and the intestines. On the tongue, gymnemic acid binds to the sweet taste receptors on the taste buds, blocking sugar molecules from attaching to them. This prevents sweet-tasting signals from being sent to the brain, making sweet foods like desserts taste dull. As a result, people tend to consume less sugar after taking it. Over time, gymnemic acid can blunt the reward or craving loop because the less sweet something tastes, the less dopamine reward the brain receives.
Gymnemic Acid also affects the intestines by slowing sugar absorption. This leads to lower glucose spikes in the blood, allowing the pancreas to produce insulin more gradually and efficiently without overworking itself. Therefore, the pancreas no longer has to pump large amounts of insulin to match high glucose spikes after eating.
Finally, Gymnema appears to stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin and enhances insulin activity, though data on this is limited and it is considered adjunctive support.
In summary, Gymnema sylvestre can modulate and block sweet taste signals to the brain, slow glucose absorption from the gut (lowering insulin demand), and potentially support insulin secretion and efficiency.
Educational only. Not medical advice. Talk to your licensed healthcare provider before using herbs—especially if pregnant, nursing, on medication, or managing a health condition.
Ganong, W. F., & Smith, J. D. (2023). Novel gurmarin-like peptides from Gymnema sylvestre and their modulation of sweet taste receptors. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 301, Article 114052. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38695158/
Sanematsu, K., & Shigemura, N. (2014). Molecular mechanisms for sweet-suppressing effect of Gymnemic acid. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 8, 233. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4162174/
Baskaran, K., Ahamath, B. K., Shanmugasundaram, K. R., & Shanmugasundaram, E. R. B. (1990). Gymnema sylvestre: A memoir. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 30(2), 257-274. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2170951/
Shanmugasundaram, E. R. B., Gopinath, K., Radha Shanmugasundaram, K., & Rajendran, V. M. (1990). Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin release in vitro by increased membrane permeability. Phytotherapy Research, 4(4), 211-214. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10556769/
Naghavi, M., & Abdollahi, M. (1997). Inhibitory effect of gymnemic acid on intestinal absorption of glucose. Journal of Medicinal Foods, 1(3), 151-156. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10100884/
Shanmugasundaram, E. R. B., Gopinath, K., Radha Shanmugasundaram, K., & Rajendran, V. M. (2010). A novel Gymnema sylvestre extract stimulates insulin secretion and enhances insulin activity in animal and human subjects. Phytomedicine, 17(9), 691-698. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20812281/
Healthline. (2018). 6 impressive health benefits of Gymnema sylvestre. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gymnema-sylvestre-benefits
WebMD. (2020). Gymnema - uses, side effects, and more. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-841/gymnema
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