Gymnema sylvestre is a woody vine native to India, Africa and Australia.  The herbal remedies are manufactured from leaves only.  Gymnema has a long history of use in India’s Ayurvedic medicine.  The Hindi name for gymnema means “destroyer of sugar.”

Here are 5 benefits of Gymnema sylvestre

1. Helps reduce sugar cravings.  Gymnemic acids in Gymnema blocks sugar receptors on your tongue, making sugary foods taste less sweet.
2. Reduces intestinal absorption of sugar.  The same Gymnemic acids block receptors in your gut to reduce sugar absorption.
3. Increases insulin secretion.  Gymnema sylvestre promotes the regeneration of isles of langerhans in the pancreas that secrete insulin.
4. Improves cholesterol and triglycerides.  Bad (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides are reduced by Gymnema supplementation.
5. Helps weight loss.  Studies have found that supplementation with Gymnema sylvestre causes a 6% reduction in weight.  This may be due to sugar receptors being blocked on the tongue causing fewer high calorie foods to be eaten.