An Indian Herb for Diabetes

Before insulin was found, and before the products of the pharmaceutical industry became available, herbs were the main treatment for diabetes. And they probably still are, in very remote parts of the world. Coccinia indica (aka Coccinia cordifoli and ivy gourd) has been used in India in the traditional treatment of diabetes. Now Bangalore , India , researchers have done a controlled study of its effectiveness. They report their findings in Diabetes Care.

Sixty type 2 diabetics were randomly allocated to take a 1 g alcoholic extract of the herb or a placebo for 90 days. All the patients received standard dietary and physical activity instructions. There was a significant decrease in the average fasting blood sugar level – 16% - after 90 days, while the average increased slightly in the placebo group. Post-meal peak blood sugar levels also fell by 18% with the herb extract, while the placebo group had a slight increase.

This study shows that Coccinia extract has a blood sugar lowering action in mild diabetes, although the mechanism of the effect is not known. Further studies will probably be done, and hopefully both the mechanism and any serious side effects will be identified. If all goes well, this may be a successful approach to early management of diabetes in countries where the herb is plentiful and cheap; further, a novel mechanism of action or identification of the molecule responsible for the effect may provide leads for a new pharmaceutical class of anti-diabetics.