Uses of Banaba

Banaba---also known as the giant crape myrtle---is a tree native to Southeast Asia, where it has long been used in traditional medicine. Banaba has recently gained some renown in the West due to several studies that indicate it may be able to mediate some of the complications of diabetes and has an overall positive effect on blood-sugar (glucose) levels. A packaged supplement known as Glucosol, made from the extract of the banaba, is being marketed extensively on the Internet as a way to regulate blood sugar, even among diabetics who are insulin-dependent.

Function

• In the August 2005 issue of "The Journal of Applied Science Research," researchers from several Asian universities published a study that concluded that banaba extract effectively reduced the blood-sugar levels of diabetic mice an hour and a half after administration. The results seemed to be "dose dependent," meaning that with higher doses a more pronounced effect was observed. The triterpenoid corosolic acid, which is present in banaba leaf, was found to be as effective as insulin at reabsorbing glucose.

Effects

• In another study, published in the February 2002 issue of "Planta Medica," researchers at the Institute of Phamaceutical Studies of the Universities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima isolated the effects of banaba extract on blood sugar. They found that, when tested on rats, banaba extract was able to increase the uptake and re-absorption rate of glucose. They found that unique substances in banaba, called ellagitannins, produce an insulin-like effect and effectively lower blood sugar.

History

• Banaba is used in traditional medicine in several Southeast Asian countries, most notably the Philippines. According to Drugs.com, the leaf is used for diuretic and purgative properties as well as diabetes, and the root is used for stomach and digestive ailments.

Considerations

• Diabetes is a complicated disease with many contributing factors, including genetics and diet. Diabetes is on the rise around the world, especially among children, and attempting to treat diabetes through natural means should take into account all factors, including obesity, high blood pressure and other medical conditions that contribute to diabetes.

Potential

• Banaba is widely cultivated as a tropical plant all over the world. Because diabetes is a worldwide epidemic of global proportions, it seems that banaba has excellent potential as a home remedy or as an adjunct treatment for diabetes and other blood sugar-related conditions. The researchers involved in the "Journal of Applied Science Research" article determined that "[t]he use of banaba decoction is still the most efficacious and practical approach for 'ethno-"pharmacologically' managing diabetes."