8% of Americans suffer from type 2 diabetes (1). This number is currently on the rise.
In fact, the number of people suffering from the disease has gone up 176% between 1980 and 2011 (2).
Although diet and exercise play a big part in managing and recovering from diabetes, these delicious herbs may serve as a health boost.
Like Prescription Drugs
According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, rosemary and oregano work similarly to commonly prescribed diabetes drugs.
That is to say, they inhibit dipeptidyl peptidase IV(3), a key enzyme in diabetes. This in turn promotes the secretion of insulin. They also affect protein tyrosine phosphatase, which plays a role in insulin signaling.
Diabetes drugs are expensive and impacts the body negatively. That’s why these herbs may hold the key to natural, long-term, diabetes management.
Fresh Herbs vs Dry
Fresh and dry herbs both lower blood sugar. However, fresh herbs have more polyphenols and flavonoids. They’re quite easy to grow too!
Best Herbs For Lowering Blood Sugar
If you suffer form high blood sugar, try incorporating more of these into your diet:
- Greek oregano (origanum vulgare)
- Mexican oregano (lippia graveolens)
- Rosemary (rosmarinic officinalis)
These herbs also have many other great benefits, including:
Lower Inflammation
Rosemary and oregano both contain gallic acid. This has a beneficial effect on metabolic syndromes (4). It also helps glucose and insulin homeostatis.
This compound is a powerful antioxidant that has anti-fungal (5), anti-viral (6), and chemopreventive properties (7).
Gallic acid fights inflammation by inhibiting the function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (8). Since inflammatory and stress responses mediate insulin resistance, reducing inflammation in your body will help you manage your diabetes (9).
Protection Against Cognitive Decline
Rosemary reduces oxidative stress in the brain, which is a tale tell sign of age-related cognitive decline (10). It particularly targets the region that controls learning and memory.
As mentioned in the journal of Endocrine Reviews: “…type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus have been associated with reduced performance on numerous domains of cognitive function.” (11)
And so, rosemary helps to manage complications of diabetes as well as the disease itself.
Additionally, the Saint Louis University School of Medicine also found that rosemary and spearmint extracts reduce cognitive problems that happen in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.
These powerful herbs can easily be found in your local supermarket. Try them in soups, salads and sauces to make the most of their anti-diabetic properties!
sources:
[1]https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/07/140723111143.htm
[2]https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/statistics/prev/national/figage.htm
[3]https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf500639f
[4]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25356824
[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23333407
[6]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21391841
[7]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12769668
[8]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1336604
[9]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1087185/
[10]https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/11/131115111524.htm
[11]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2528851/