Sat, Mar-23-02, 21:28
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Forum Founder
Posts: 37,417
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Plan: LC, GF
Stats: 241/190/140
BF:
Progress: 50%
Location: Eastern ON, Canada
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hi there Comftnum2,
I see from one of your other posts that you were diagnosed with PCOS, and had been taking Glucophage for a while, but had to stop due to the expense. Are you also diabetic??
Gymnema sylvestre has been used in India for thousands of years to treat diabetes. Indeed, it's been shown in clinical trials that it does lower blood sugar, but it does so gradually over time.
If you are diabetic, you'd be wise to have a health professional's supervision for using this herb, as it can lead to hypoglycemia, especially if you're taking other medications to lower the blood sugar. If you're not diabetic ... studies show that gymnema can lead to increased insulin levels, which you definitely DON'T want if you have PCOS.
Chewing fresh leaves from this herb can block the sweet taste sensation on the tongue, thus reducing cravings for sweets and sugar. However, this property isn't found in the powdered herb or capsules.
Some studies suggest that it may have some effect to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
You can read more about gymnema sylvestre at Healthwell.com
Hope this helps
Doreen
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