This Exotic Herb is Better than the Leading Drug for Diabetes

Diabetes and cholesterol problems is a dangerous combination that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. There is an exotic herb that can not only help both, but that can help both better than the leading drug.

This herb that is still little known in the West is well known in the Ayurvedic healing tradition of India and in traditional Chinese medicine. Its official name is Emblica officinalis, but it is better known as Indian gooseberry or Amla.

This new study was randomized but not blinded. It included 124 newly diagnosed type 2 diabetics who also had diabetic dyslipidemia, or cholesterol problems. One group took 1g of Amla extract, one took 2g of Amla extract and one took 500mg of metformin a day for 90 days. Metformin is the recommended first-line therapy for people with type 2 diabetes.

All of the treatments were effective, but the Amla was more effective and the higher dose of Amla was the most effective. 2g of Amla was significantly better than metformin at reducing both fasting blood sugar and blood sugar after eating. Fasting blood sugar went down by21.8% in the 2g Amla group versus 17.6% in the metformin group. The 2g dose of the herb was also significantly superior to metformin for reducing HbA1c, the most important marker of long term blood sugar and diabetes control.

When it came to blood lipids, Amla was as effective as metformin for all lipids, including triglycerides, LDL, VLDL and HDL cholesterol. Though the difference was not significant, the 2g dose of Amla led to greater improvements in triglycerides as well as total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol.

The researchers conclude that this study provides “strong evidence” that Amla “showed superior antidiabetic and anti-dyslipidemia activities compared to the pharmaceutical drug, metformin.” Amla is better than the best drug (Food Funct. 2022,13,9523-9531).

Earlier double-blind research has also shown that 1g of Amla extract lowers triglycerides as well as total, LDL and the even more dangerous VLDL cholesterol. It also improves indicators of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease (BMC Complement Altern Med 2019;19(1):27).

More impressively still, research has shown Amla to have advantages over drugs for cholesterol as well. A low dose of 500mg of Amla was as effective as the drug simvastatin at improving cholesterol and triglycerides, but it was better at improving blood pressure (Indian J Pharmacol. 2012 Mar;44(2):238-42).

With the discovery of its superiority to the leading drugs for diabetes and cholesterol, it is time we get to know Amla, or Indian gooseberry, much better.

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