Product Name: Gymnema Extract Botanical Name: Gymnema Sylvestre Part Used: Leaf Specification: Extract Ratio 4:1 to 20:1, Straight powder,5%-25% Gymnemic Acids Appearance: yellowish-brown fine powder CAS No.: 90045-47-9 What is Gymnema? Gymnema is a genus in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810. Gymnema sylvestre is an herb native to the tropical forests of southern and central India and Sri Lanka. Chewing the leaves suppresses the sensation of sweet. This effect is attributed to the eponymous gymnemic acids. G. sylvestre has been used in herbal medicine as a treatment for diabetes for nearly two millennia, and though there is insufficient scientific evidence to draw definitive conclusions about its efficacy two small clinical trials have shown gymnema to reduce glycosylated hemoglobin levels.Common names include gymnema,cowplant, Australian cowplant, gurmari, gurmarbooti, gurmar, periploca of the woods, meshasringa, Bedki cha pala and miracle fruit[(also a common name for two unrelated plants). Benefits of Gymnema Extract Gymnema sylvestre is a stomachic, diuretic, refrigerant, astringent, and tonic. It has been found to increase urine output and reduce hyperglycemia in both animal and human studies. Gymnema’s antidiabetic activity appears to be due to a combination of mechanisms. Two ani- mal studies on beryllium nitrate- and streptozotocin-diabetic rats found Gymnema extracts doubled the number of insulin-secreting beta cells in the pancreas and returned blood sugars to almost normal. Gymnema increases the activity of enzymes responsible for glucose uptake and utilization, and inhib-its peripheral utilization of glucose by somatotrophin and corticotrophin. Plant extracts have also been found to inhibit epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia.