About Gymnema Sylvestre
ymnema sylvestre is a woody, vine-like plant which climbs on bushes and trees in the Western Ghats in South India, and to the west of those mountains in the territory around the coastal city of Goa. It came to be known as "destroyer of sugar" because, in ancient times, Ayurvedic physicians observed that chewing a few leaves of Gymnema suppressed the taste of sugar. Recent clinical trials conducted in India have shown that an extract of Gymnema sylvestre is useful in both insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and in certain types of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). As a result of these clinical tests and years of successful treatments, Gymnema is used today all over India for treating diabetes mellitus.