Diabetes: This herb that grows in your courtyard significantly lowers blood sugar levels – Times Now

Tulsi plants are given a venerated position in Indian hosueholds  |  Photo Credit: iStock Images

Diabetes has become a huge health menace as modern lifestyles have made excuses for sedentary modes. With calorie-burning activity out of our daily schedules, we are accumulating unhealthy amounts of fats and adding to the pressure on our heart and blood vessels. Diabetes the silent killer creeps in unnoticed and in several cases, goes undetected till some health calamity makes the patient check the blood parameters.

If you have diabetes, your body is not able to properly process and use glucose from the food you eat. The unhealthy accumulation of sugar in the blood is a dangerous phenomenon. According to the Cleveland Clinic, diabetescan cause heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure and coma. These complications can lead to your death. Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in adults with diabetes. Some types of diabetes can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

Apart from recommending a heart-healthy daily routine, our ancestors had woven in traditions in our days and months to make us appreciate the goodness of herbs and naturally available food factors. We have neem patta (leaves) rolled into gur (jaggery) to start the new year. Neem is antibiotic and antioxidant. Similarly, our courtyards are lined with several trees and shrubs, key among them being Tulasi (Tulsi) or Holy Basil and Curry leaves. Tulasi leaves have the status of God and the plant is treated with reverence. Not for nothing. Its medicinal properties are well known. It can be added to food, medicines, water, tea, or eaten raw.

Modern medicine is just now discovering the goodness of Tulasi patta. A study published in the "Macedonian Journal of Medical Scientists" has investigated the effect of Basil on diabetic rats using an extract of the herb. This study has been mentioned in a writeup in Express.co.uk, where the Holy Basil or Tulsi has been called a "vitamin-packed herb that significantly lowers blood sugar levels. In the tests mentioned in the Macedonian Journal of Medical Scientists, the rodents blood glucose was measured before and after induction of the extract, at week one and week four. Findings revealed that basil had a significant lowering effect on blood glucose levels.

The researchers noted: Extract ethanol of basil leaves showed good results in lowering blood glucose and advanced glycation end products in diabetic rats. These findings were echoed in another study on rodents, who were also administered basil extracts of holy basil. At the end of the 30 days of the study, researchers saw a 26.4 per cent decrease in blood sugar levels. Basil has been shown to target metabolic stress too, which might aid with weight loss and cholesterol levels. Other studies have pointed out that the herb could improve pancreatic beta-cell function and insulin secretion - and further increase the uptake of glucose by muscle cells. One showed that the herb significantly improved spikes in blood glucose levels after eating.

The researchers noted that the leaves appeared to have hypoglycaemic properties, which have been shown to lower blood sugar levels and help prevent complications of diabetes.

Indian study on the use of Thulasi to treat Type 2 Diabetes:A similar study had been carried out by the Department of Foods and Nutrition, MS University of Baroda.Titled Effect of Tulasi (Ocimum sanctum) leaf powder supplementation on blood sugar levels, serum lipids and tissue lipids in diabetic rats, the study had observed the following result:Tulasi leaf powder was fed at the 1% level in normal and diabetic rats for a period of one month to explore the effect on fasting blood sugar, uronic acid, total amino acids, and the lipid profile in serum and tissue lipids. The results indicated a significant reduction in fasting blood sugar, uronic acid, total amino acids, total cholesterol, triglyceride, phospholipids and total lipids. In the liver, total cholesterol, triglyceride and total lipids were significantly lowered. Total lipids were significantly reduced in the kidney. In the heart, a significant fall in total cholesterol and phospholipids was observed. All these observations indicate the hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effect of Tulasi in diabetic rats.

Study of Tulsi medicine to treat diabetes in humans:A study published in the Journal of Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that holy basil showed benefits for reducing blood sugar. The study including a group of 90 men, who were all diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at the outset of the analysis.

The results yielded from both the animal and human studies could hold particular relevance for individuals with pre-diabetes, which refers to abnormally high blood sugar levels which are not yet high enough to qualify as type 2 diabetes.

Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purpose only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a dietician before starting any fitness programme or making any changes to your diet.

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Diabetes: This herb that grows in your courtyard significantly lowers blood sugar levels - Times Now