A study appearing in the journal Diabetes Care (published Dec 2007 on line), shows that the Indian herb Coccina indica may lower blood sugar levels. In a double blind, placebo controlled study, researchers found that one gram of the herb per day can lower blood sugar by around 18%.
The subjects of the study were 60 people with type-2 diabetes (adult onset) aged between 35 and 60. The subjects were divided into two groups and received either a placebo or an one gram extract (obtained in alcohol) of Coccina indica for 90 days. None of the subjects were using medication to control their diabetes. The fasting blood sugar levels of the group receiving the herb were reduced by 18%. The post-prandial blood sugar levels (after a meal) were reduced by 16%.
