Hormonal
Herbal therapies for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2D), such as licorice (amorfrutins), blueberry (anthocyanins), and Astragalus (polysaccharides), can lower blood glucose and improve insulin resistance by targeting multiple metabolic pathways, including PPAR-gamma activation, Akt signaling, and inflammation reduction.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, certain herbal extracts like those from blueberries (anthocyanins), Astragalus (polysaccharides), and licorice (amorfrutins) show promise in improving insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose in scientific studies. These work by targeting multiple pathways like insulin signaling and inflammation. However, they are currently viewed as complementary to standard treatments rather than replacements, and you should consult your doctor before adding them to your regimen, as human clinical data is still evolving for many specific extracts.
Medicinal herbs contain diverse bioactive compounds and can have multiple actions on insulin action, insulin production, or both... a single antidiabetic herb with thousands of phytochemicals may have multiple benefits by targeting several metabolic pathways and essentially 'killing several birds with one stone.'
Why this rating
The paper is a review of preclinical (in vitro/animal) and limited clinical data; it highlights promising mechanisms but notes many active compounds need further investigation.
Source
Herbal Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Chemistry, Biology, and Potential Application of Selected Plants and Compounds
Cicero Lee‐Tian Chang et al. · Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine · 2013
DOI 10.1155/2013/378657
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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