What is it and where does it come from?
Banaba (Lagerstroemia Speciosa) is a leaf bearing medicinal plant that grows in Southeast Asia and India. Banaba has been used for thousands of years in traditional medicine.
What does it do and what scientific studies give evidence to support this? Banaba has been used in traditional medicine as a treatment for diabetes mellitus.1 It is effective for this purpose because of its ability to regulate blood sugar,2,3 and act in a way that is similar to insulin.4 In trials banaba's blood glucose lowering effect was dosage dependant.
Banaba may prevent hyperuricemia5, curb appetite and cleanse the liver. Banaba contains the triterpenoid compound corosolic acid, and this ingredient has shown promise in animal trials in the fight against obesity.6 Corosolic acid helps to promote the use of glucose as fuel, and promotes weight loss. Consequently, banaba is a popular ingredient in weight loss nutritional supplements.
Who needs it and what are some symptoms of deficiency? All persons can benefit from banaba supplementation. Its ability to favorably impact blood glucose levels makes it ideal for dieting bodybuilders, diabetics, and those looking to improve body composition and overall health.
Description
Banaba is a medicinal plant that grows in India, Southeast Asia and the Philippines. Traditional uses include brewing tea from the leaves as a treatment for diabetes and hyperglycemia (elevated blood sugar). The hypoglycemic (blood sugar lowering) effect of banaba leaf extract is similar to that of insulin – which induces glucose transport from the blood into body cells.
Claims
- Balances blood sugar
- Promotes healthy insulin levels
- Controls appetite and food craving (especially carbohydrate cravings)
- May promote weight loss
Theory
Banaba leaf extract contains a triterpenoid compound known as corosolic acid – which has actions in stimulating glucose transport into cells. As such, banaba plays a role in regulating levels of blood sugar and insulin in the blood. For some people, fluctuations in blood sugar and insulin are related to appetite, hunger and various food cravings – particularly craving for carbohydrates such as bread and sweets. By keeping blood sugar and insulin levels in check, banaba may be an effective supplement for promoting weight loss in certain individuals.
Scientific Support
The blood sugar regulating properties of banaba have been demonstrated in cell culture, animal and human studies. In isolated cells, the active ingredient in banaba extract, corosolic acid, is known to stimulate glucose uptake. In diabetic mice, rats and rabbits, banaba feeding reduces elevated blood sugar and insulin levels to normal. In humans with type II diabetes, banaba extract, at a dose of 16-48mg per day for 4-8 weeks, has been shown to be effective in reducing blood sugar levels (5%-30% reduction) and maintaining tighter control of blood sugar fluctuations. An interesting “side-effect” of tighter control of blood sugar and insulin levels is a significant tendency of banaba to promote weight loss (an average of 2-4 lbs. per month) – without significant dietary alterations. It is likely that modulation of glucose and insulin levels reduces total caloric intake somewhat and encourages moderate weight loss.
Value
As a dietary supplement to help reduce elevated levels of sugar and insulin in the blood, banaba extract has been shown to be safe and effective. As a weight loss aid, a handful of small (unpublished) studies in humans have suggested that tighter control of blood glucose and insulin can help promote moderate weight loss.
References
1. Kakuda T, Sakane I, Takihara T, Ozaki Y, Takeuchi H, Kuroyanagi M. Hypoglycemic effect of extracts from Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaves in genetically diabetic KK-AY mice. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 1996 Feb;60(2):204-8. 2. Murakami C, Myoga K, Kasai R, Ohtani K, Kurokawa T, Ishibashi S, Dayrit F, Padolina WG, Yamasaki K. Screening of plant constituents for effect on glucose transport activity in Ehrlich ascites tumour cells. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo). 1993 Dec;41(12):2129-31. 3. Suzuki Y, Unno T, Ushitani M, Hayashi K, Kakuda T. Antiobesity activity of extracts from Lagerstroemia speciosa L. leaves on female KK-Ay mice. J Nutr Sci Vitaminol (Tokyo). 1999 Dec;45(6):791-5.
