Diabetes is a debilitating disease that tremendously affects a person's health and life. Thank goodness for continuous research endeavors exploring further on this condition, people with diabetes can better manage their symptoms.
Herbal supplements are quite popular and are marketed for diabetes symptom alleviation. What does scientific research have to say?
Find out in a fact sheet provided by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM).
Herbal Supplements for Diabetes- NCCAM
There is no strong evidence that herbal supplements can help to control diabetes or its complications.
Researchers have found some risks but no clear benefits of cinnamon for people with diabetes.
-A 2012 systematic review of 10 randomized controlled trials did not support using cinnamon for type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
-A trial of 59 people with type 2 diabetes found that a combination of cinnamon, calcium, and zinc didn’t improve their blood pressure.
-When researchers tested samples of the common spice cassia cinnamon for sale at grocery stores in Europe, they found many samples contained coumarin, a substance that may cause or worsen liver disease in people who are sensitive. Also, eating large amounts of cinnamon containing coumarin may be especially risky for people taking blood-thinning drugs; the interaction of coumarin and blood thinners can increase the likelihood of bleeding.
Researchers are studying whether Asian ginseng and American ginseng may help control glucose levels. Currently, research reviews and clinical trials show that there is not enough evidence to support their use.
Other herbal supplements studied for diabetes include aloe vera, bitter melon, Chinese herbal medicines, fenugreek, garlic, Gymnema sylvestre, milk thistle, nettle, prickly pear cactus, and sweet potato. None have been proven to be effective.
Safety
Information on the safety of herbal supplements for people with diabetes is generally inconclusive or unavailable. Interactions between herbs and conventional diabetes drugs have not been well studied and could be a health risk. For example, in some people cinnamon might worsen liver disease and interact with blood thinners.