Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre), also called Gurmar (“The Destroyer of Sugar”) in Hindi, is a viney plant found normally in shrubby or secondary forest in India, Africa and Australia. It is used either raw or cooked as a vegetable, and is used in cuisine sometimes to make bitter food taste better. It is for its effect on the taste of sweet, however, that it is famous!
The main bioactives in Gymnema are the gymnemic acids, which are known to interact with taste receptors on the tongue to temporarily block the taste of sweetness. This effect can last for about 30 min to an hour or longer depending on the type of preparation. It has no apparent effect on the other tastes of salty, spicy, astringent or sour.
This sweetness-blocking effect is theorized to be useful for people who want to control sugar cravings, as sweet foods taste unappealing after consuming Gymnema.
Amazingly, we have also discovered that there are sweet taste receptors in the “non-taste organs”, specifically the gut and pancreas! We are still trying to fully understand the implications of these sweet taste receptors, but we do know they play a role in the metabolic cascade that has to do with insulin and blood sugar balance. We also know that they are stimulated not only by sugar, but also artificial sweeteners and other molecules that interact with the sweet receptors in the mouth.
We also know that Gymnemic acids have been shown to reduce the absorption of sugar from the digestive tract and also increase insulin production, and this has been confirmed to lower blood sugar in preclinical work. How this plays out clinically, and the best applications for Gymnema extracts is still being investigated.
In Ayurveda, Gymenma is considered to pacify imbalance in Kapha and Pitta and be traditionally useful for those people who crave sweet foods and weight management. It is traditionally used in a powdered format as a tea; however, Gymnema tablets and capsules and even chewing gums are available these days!
Photo by Dinesh Valke from Thane, India
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*This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of such advice or treatment from a personal physician.