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Gymnema, or gurmar, is a plant used in Ayurveda to treat type 2 diabetes. The herb continues to gain notoriety as positive findings are published and as people continue to seek ancient remedies and "alternative" treatments to diabetes. The herb is also used to help treat digestive issues, and used as an antiviral, diuretic, and antiallergic medicine.1
According to a review of many studies published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Gymnema sylvestre (or G. sylvestre) can help treat many of the underlying causes of type 2 diabetes including: "chronic inflammation, obesity enzymatic defects and pancreatic ß-cell function and no single oral hypoglycemic drug presently exerts such a diverse range of effects."1
