Herb Salacia Oblonga for Diabetes

Salacia oblonga can control blood-glucose, and it has an additional benefit of weight gain inhibition.

Salacia oblonga plant: Salacia oblonga is a woody plant native to Sri Lanka and India. The roots and stems of Salacia oblonga are in use extensively in Ayurveda and Traditional Indian Medicine for different medical conditions, including diabetes.

Salacia herb lower blood sugar level

Salacia oblonga binds to intestinal enzyme alpha-glucosidases that break down carbohydrates into glucose in the body. Thus, less glucose gets into the bloodstream, resulting in lower blood glucose.

8 Medicinal uses of Salacia oblonga

Salacia Oblonga is an effective anti-diabetic agent. Traditionally, it is in use for blood-glucose management, effective for type 2 diabetes control and beneficial for type 1 diabetes.

For a test meal, the blood glucose level drop by about 23 % in non-diabetic human subjects given 1 gram of Salacia oblonga extracts with the test meal, according to a study in the January 2005 issue of the “Journal of the American Dietetic Association.”

1. Improves blood sugar - Salacia oblonga inhibits carbohydrate absorption, increase the efficiency of insulin action, decrease postprandial insulin, increases tissue glucose sensitivity, decrease in blood glucose, and decrease HbA1c.
2. Cholesterol control - S oblonga has lipid-lowering and anti-inflammatory effects. It is capable of improving lipid profiles and systemic inflammation in diabetics. It lowers serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and increasing HDL cholesterol levels.
3. Kidney tonic - Oblonga stabilizes kidney function both in diabetics and nondiabetics, suggesting it benefits for CKD patients thus consider as a kidney tonic.
4. Lower blood pressure - A rat study has noted the Salacia lowered blood pressure.
5. Protects heart – Oblonga has cardioprotection property.
6. Liver protective -  it is hepatoprotective, useful for liver related conditions.
7. Inhibits weight gain - thus controls the weight gain. It is much useful for those who are obese and having both diabetes and cholesterol.
8. Traditionally, it has been in use to treat arthritis, diarrhea, fever, gonorrhea, obesity, menstrual problems, and skin diseases.

Salacia oblonga lower heart diseases & strokes risks

Diabetes has a greater incidence of cardiovascular disease than others do. It is due to slow development of fibrosis, results in increased myocardial stiffness causing ventricular dysfunction and ultimately heart failure. Salacia oblonga improves interstitial and perivascular fibrosis in the hearts and lower your heart disease and stroke risks.

Salacia oblonga dosage

General recommended dosage for Salacia oblonga is 2.5 to 5.0 grams daily of the whole herb or a comparable amount of extract. The root and bark are the part of the plant used.

Salacia oblonga availability

It is available in different easy to take forms; they are a Salacia oblonga root, root powder capsules, and extract capsule.

Bioactive constituents of Salacia oblonga

It contains two potent a-Glucosidase inhibitors: Salicinol and Kotalanol together with several known phenolic compounds, new sesquiterpenes (salasols A and B) and triterpenes (kotalagenin 16-acetate, salasones A-E, salaquinones A and B). Furthermore, S. reticulata and its phenolic constituents can exhibit pancreatic lipase inhibitory and anti-obese effects.

Scientific evidence for the diabetes herb Salacia oblonga

Extract of Salacia oblonga lowers acute glycemia patients with type 2 diabetes, conducted at Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH 43215, USA published in Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Jul;86(1):124-30. The study result show, the extract of Salacia oblonga lowers acute glycemia and insulinemia in persons with type 2 diabetes after a high-carbohydrate meal.  

Salacia oblonga improves cardiac fibrosis and inhibits postprandial hyperglycemia in obese Zucker rats, conducted at Herbal Medicines Research and Education Center, Faculty of Pharmacy A15, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia published in Life Sci. 2004 Aug 20;75(14):1735-46. This study shows postprandial hyperglycemia plays an important role in the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications. Salacia oblonga has strong inhibition of alpha-glucosidase activity in vitro, which suggests contributing to the improvement of postprandial hyperglycemia.

Salacia oblonga side effects

Salacia oblonga is relatively safe. In human, the side effects are similar to the side effects of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (diabetes medication), gas and cramping. It may interact with your diabetes medication and causes hypoglycemia, so be vigilant in your blood-glucose monitoring and change your medication dosage if warrants.