About Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm.
Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R.Br. ex Sm. is a climbing plant. Its leaves are elongated-oval, with soft hairs covering their upper surface. It produces small, yellow umbelliferous inflorescences year-round. For reducing sugar intake, Gymnema sylvestre extracts consumed as lozenges, mouthwash, or tea lower consumption of sweet foods and overall caloric intake. Extracts formulated as mint lozenges reduce both desire for high-sugar foods and the perceived pleasant taste of candy. Research indicates that Gymnema sylvestre extracts also reduce sugar cravings; in one double-blind study, participants given a gymnemic acid lozenge declined candy before tasting it more often than participants in the placebo group. For weight loss, 50 tons of Gymnema sylvestre leaves are consumed annually in Japan for this purpose. Early research suggests that taking an oral combination of Gymnema sylvestre extract, hydroxycitric acid, and niacin-bound chromium for 8 weeks may reduce body weight in people who are overweight or obese. In traditional Eastern and Ayurvedic medicine, Gymnema sylvestre leaves and extracts have been used to treat eye diseases, allergies, constipation, cough, dental caries, obesity, stomach ailments, and viral infections. It has also been used as an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and aphrodisiac.
