Outside the United States, the use of herbal therapies for the management of diabetes is common. As the interest in herbal therapies in the United States continues to grow, researchers say it is important to have reliable data from well-controlled studies.

The Ohio State study examined the effectiveness of an herb called salacia oblonga, which is native to regions of India and Sri Lanka. Salacia oblonga binds to intestinal enzymes that break down carbohydrates in the body. These enzymes turn carbohydrates into glucose, the sugar that circulates throughout the body. If the enzyme binds to the herbal extract rather than to a carbohydrate, less glucose gets into the bloodstream, resulting in lowered blood glucose and insulin levels.

Thirty-nine adults without diabetes participated in the study. They were given four test meals consisting of a beverage that contained the herbal extract on four different occasions. Glucose and insulin levels were measured before and after the meals.

Different concentrations of the herbal extract were evaluated in the study. Researchers found the beverage containing the highest concentration of the herbal extract provided the most dramatic reduction in insulin and blood glucose levels.

“These kinds of reduction are similar to what we might see with prescription oral medications for people with diabetes,” says Steven R. Hertzler, Ph.D., R.D., co-author of the study.

Hertzler and his colleagues are continuing their studies. Next, they plan to look at the effects of salacia oblonga in people with diabetes.