Gymnema Sylvestre

Genus: Gymnema
english name: Gymnema sylvestre

Family: Asclepiadaceae
Compounds: gymnemic acid and gurmarin
Parts used: leaves
Properties: hyperglycemia, obesity, high cholesterol levels, anemia and digestion
Uses
internal uses: is as a blood sugar regulator; helps promote weight control by its ability to reduce the cravings for sweets and control blood sugar levels

Gymnema sylvestre is a climbing plant with stems up to 8 m in length. It grows in open woods and bushland at an altitude of 100-1000 m in India, China, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and South Africa. Gymnema Sylvestre, also known as Gurmar and Meshashringi, whose Hindi name literally means 'sugar destroyer', has been used in Ayurveda for several centuries to regulate sugar metabolism. Gymnema is a traditional Ayurvedic (traditional Indian medicine) herb with a history going back over 2000 years for the successful treatment of diabete.