Botanical Name: Gymnema sylvestre (Retz.) R. Br. ex Schult.
Plant Family: Asclepiadaceae
 
Overview: Gymnema comes to us from mainland India and several parts of Africa and has a deep history rooted in Ayurvedic medicine.
 
Parts Used: The leaf taken orally. The best preparations have been those from whole leaf tea, but many liquid extracts and capsules work comparably well.
 
Typical Preparations: Tea infusion from the leaf, either cut or whole, or taken orally in capsule or extract form.
 
Summary: Avid and thorough Indian research is working hard to quantify and validate the sugar balancing properties of Gymnema.