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Artemisia Dracunculus and Cataracts

Artemisia dracunculus has several common names, such as tarragon, dragonwort and silky wormwood. Extracts from this plant have the potential of retarding the development of cataracts in diabetics.

  1. Cataracts in Diabetics

    • Diabetes results in excess blood sugar, a condition called hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia prompts an enzyme called aldose reductase to act upon a simple sugar called glucose and to convert it to another simple sugar called sorbitol. Since the lens of the eye is one of the sites where aldose reductase does its work, sorbitol builds up in the lens and draws an excess amount of water into the tissues of the lens, so that cataracts develop, according to the Annals of Clinical Laboratory Science.

    The Enzyme Inhibited

    • Ingredients extracted from Artemisia dracunculus partially prevent aldose reductase from converting glucose to sorbitol. There is a 40 percent reduction in enzymatic activity, according to Phytochemistry. This retards the development of cataracts in diabetics.

    Blood Sugar Reduced

    • Artemisia dracunculus also helps lower blood sugar levels in diabetics. It encourages the activity of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), a hormone that promotes the secretion of insulin, and retards PTP-IB (protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B), an enzyme that hinders the reception of insulin in the cells. This indirectly retards the development of cataracts.

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