{"id":119676,"date":"2025-07-10T09:53:26","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T08:53:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/?post_type=herb&p=119676"},"modified":"2025-07-10T09:57:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-10T08:57:34","slug":"gymnema","status":"publish","type":"herb","link":"https:\/\/www.herbalreality.com\/herb\/gymnema\/","title":{"rendered":"Gymnema"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"featured_media":119691,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","beyondwords_generate_audio":"1","beyondwords_project_id":"47224","beyondwords_content_id":"2deb961d-3345-45e0-a674-2373b4bce7eb","beyondwords_preview_token":"3b96637e-7b0e-4372-a26f-450a42a95935","beyondwords_player_content":"","beyondwords_player_style":"","beyondwords_language_code":"","beyondwords_language_id":"","beyondwords_title_voice_id":"","beyondwords_body_voice_id":"","beyondwords_summary_voice_id":"","beyondwords_error_message":"","beyondwords_disabled":"","beyondwords_delete_content":"","beyondwords_podcast_id":"","beyondwords_hash":"","publish_post_to_speechkit":"","speechkit_hash":"","speechkit_generate_audio":"","speechkit_project_id":"","speechkit_podcast_id":"","speechkit_error_message":"","speechkit_disabled":"","speechkit_access_key":"","speechkit_error":"","speechkit_info":"","speechkit_response":"","speechkit_retries":"","speechkit_status":"","speechkit_updated_at":"","_speechkit_link":"","_speechkit_text":""},"tags":[1973,1975,1974,1879,1976],"conditions":[694,685,693,695],"sustainability":[1575],"sense":[18,30,1821,27],"western_action":[992,1823,994,998,1000,1001,1008,1014,1016,1021,1022],"chinese_action":[],"ayurvedic_action":[],"energetics_action":[1498,1496],"region":[1897,1893],"class_list":["post-119676","herb","type-herb","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-antidiabetic","tag-appetite-inhibitor","tag-hypocholesterolaemic","tag-hypoglycaemic","tag-pancreatic-trophorestorative","conditions-cardiovascular-system","conditions-digestive-system","conditions-endocrine-system","conditions-respiratory-system","sustainability-amber-sustainability-status","sense-bitter","sense-sharp","sense-sour","sense-sweet","western_action-anti-inflammatory","western_action-antihyperlipidemic","western_action-antioxidant","western_action-antitussive","western_action-astringent","western_action-bitter","western_action-diuretic","western_action-hepatoprotective","western_action-laxative","western_action-stomachic","western_action-trophorestorative","energetics_action-bitter","energetics_action-sour","region-ayurvedic-herbs","region-western-herbs"],"acf":{"last_reviewed":"20250703","herb_author":1910,"banner_text":"Gymnema reduces blood glucose levels and is used to treat diabetes","latin_name":"Gymnema sylvestre<\/span><\/i>","pseudonym_name":"","family_name":"Apocynaceae","herb_summary":"Gymnema reduces blood glucose levels and sweet cravings. It also repairs damaged cells in the pancreas, treating type 1 and 2 diabetes.","key_benefits":"Diabetes mellitus\r\nMetabolic syndrome\r\nHypoglycaemic\r\nReduces sugar cravings\r\nAntihyperlipemic\r\nHypocholesteraemic","how_does_it_feel":"The tincture smells intriguing, with a slightly sweet aroma and hints of sourness and acridity. The taste is strongly bitter, sour and acrid, with only a hint of the sweetness that the aroma suggested. The aftertaste is bitter, leaving an intensely acrid, almost acidic, sensation in the throat which lasts for a couple of hours. After a few minutes the tincture can be felt moving through the stomach and into the intestines, as a mild wave of heat. It is the saponins that have a mildly irritating effect on the throat, stomach and the lining of the intestines, linking to the felt sensations in these areas (1). The mild laxative effect of gymnema can be experienced just a few hours after consuming.<\/span>\r\n\r\nIf the tincture is swilled in the mouth it will coat the tongue and the taste buds, intensifying the bitter taste and acrid sensation in the mouth. If a sweet food or drink is consumed at this point, the sweet taste will be slightly lessened. The sweetness is still slightly present, but reduced and overall the food\/drink tastes more bland. As with the acrid sensation in the throat, the lessening of the sweet taste lasts for around two hours.<\/span>","hdif_image_1":119691,"hdif_image_2":119694,"hdif_image_3":119692,"hdif_video":"","sense":[18,30,1821,27],"what_can_i_use_it_for":"[caption id=\"attachment_119691\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"510\"]\"Gymnea Gymnea (Gymnema sylvestre<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nGymnema is effective at regulating blood glucose levels and increasing insulin sensitivity. It is typically used in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, to stabilise blood glucose levels, enhance insulin production and release from the pancreas, and inhibit glucose release from the liver (2,3). It can also repair damage to the insulin releasing cells (beta cells) in the pancreas, partially restoring function to the pancreas in type 1 diabetes (4). <\/span>\r\n\r\nTaking a few drops of gymnema tincture on the tongue, drinking an infusion of the leaves, or simply chewing some leaves will block the sweet-taste receptors on the tongue for 1\u20133 hours (5). This anesthetising of the sweet taste buds reduces the desire to consume sweet tasting food, assuaging sugar cravings and treating sugar addictions (2,6,7,8). Caution is required when taking gymnema alongside diabetic medication, as the dosage may need adjusting to prevent hypoglycaemia (2).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGymnema also reduces blood lipids and can be used to reduce cholesterol and triglycerides in cases of hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolaemia (9).\u00a0<\/span>\r\n\r\nGymnema is a tropical plant, native to southern Asia, with a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine. It is difficult to grow outside of tropical regions, putting strain on the native regions to provide global supplies and transportation (10). Attempts to use native, alternative herbs reduces transportation and prevents overharvesting to support a sustainable global supply. A herb which is native to Europe with very similar actions is <\/span>goat\u2019s rue<\/span><\/a>, which is a suitable alternative for Western practitioners to consider using in their native area.\u00a0<\/span>","into_the_heart_of":"[caption id=\"attachment_119693\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"513\"]\"Gymnea Gymnea (Gymnema sylvestre<\/em>)[\/caption]\r\n\r\nGymnema helps stabilise blood glucose levels and normalises fasting blood glucose by:<\/span>\r\n