Herbal Medication for Diabetes Mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which blood sugar is high. Symptoms linked with high blood sugar include frequent urination, increased thirst and hunger. Complication in diabetes can be acute or severe. Acute complications include diabetic ketoacidosis, hyperosmolar, hyperglycemic or death; while serious long-term complications include cardiovascular disease, stroke, chronic kidney disease, foot ulcers, and damage to the eyes. Medications used to treat diabetes do so by lowering blood sugar levels. Glucose levels in normal range result in fewer complications like kidney problems and diabetic retinopathy. There are number of different classes of anti-diabetic medications; some of them include metformin, insulin etc. Alternate or herbal medications are also available which include plants like Trigonellafoenumgraecum, Nigella sativum, Azadirachtaindica, and Cichoriumintybus. Trigonella seeds are antidiabetic and antihyperlipedemic, while Nigella sativa, also called as Kalongi, can significantly reduce fasting, post prandial and glycosylated haemoglobin. Neem, which is a common herb found on Indian soil, has very good medicinal value, it blocks inhibitory effect of serotonin on insulin secretion mediated by glucose. Cichoriumintybus, also called as Kasini, shows antidiabetic effect, it reduces serum glucose by 20%, triglycerides by 91% and cholesterol by 16%. This shows that the mentioned herbs have antidiabetic effect i.e. they help in lowering blood sugar, so they can be used in day to day life or can be used in herbal formulation. It can be used as alternate medication besides allopathic treatment, as these do not have any side or adverse effect on diabetic cases. Keywords: Diabetes mellitus, Trigonellafoenumgraecum, Nigella sativum, Azadirachtaindica, Cichoriumintybus Cite this Article Priyanka Verma. Herbal Medication for Diabetes Mellitus. Research & Reviews: A Journal of Pharmacognosy . 2018; 5(3): 8–10p