Zingiber officinale, Phyllanthus emblica, Cinnamomum verum, and Curcuma longa to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes: An Integrative Review

Curr Diabetes Rev. 2023;19(8):e241122211183. doi: 10.2174/1573399819666221124104401.

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus has become a global pandemic progressively rising and affecting almost every household in all world regions. Diet is a significant root cause of type II diabetes; thus, the significance of dietary interventions in preventing and managing the disease cannot be neglected. Lowering the glycemic impact of diet is an alternative way of managing type II diabetes while improving insulin sensitivity. Medicinal plants are rich in therapeutic phytochemicals which possess hypoglycemic properties. Therefore, it could be speculated that the glycemic impact of diet can be reduced by adding hypoglycemic plant ingredients without altering the sensory properties of food. The main aim of this review is to discuss dietary interventions to manage diabetes and summarize available information on the hypoglycemic properties of four prime herbs of Asian origin. This article collected, tabulated, and summarized groundbreaking reveals from promising studies. This integrative review provides information on the hypoglycemic properties of ginger, Indian gooseberry, cinnamon, and turmeric and discusses the possibility of those herbs reducing the glycemic impact of a diet once incorporated. Further research should be done regarding the incorporation of these herbs successfully into a regular diet.

Keywords: Indian gooseberry; Type 2 diabetes; cinnamon; ginger; hypoglycemic; turmeric.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Cinnamomum zeylanicum
  • Curcuma / chemistry
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / drug therapy
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2* / prevention & control
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Phyllanthus emblica*
  • Plant Extracts / pharmacology
  • Plant Extracts / therapeutic use
  • Zingiber officinale* / chemistry

Substances

  • Plant Extracts
  • Hypoglycemic Agents