Herbal Medicine for Diabetes

Although some types of herbal medicine for diabetes may be effective, others can be ineffective or even harmful. Ginseng and garlic are examples of some herbal medicine for diabetes people try. There is limited scientific evidence on the effectiveness of herbal medicine for diabetes; therefore, patients who use herbal medicine for diabetes need to let their healthcare providers know what they are doing.

 

Herbal Medicine for Diabetes: An Overview

Some people with
 diabetes consider using alternative treatments for diabetes. This includes herbal medicine for diabetes. Although some types of herbal medicine for diabetes may be effective, others can be ineffective or even harmful. Patients who use herbal medicine for diabetes need to let their healthcare providers know what they are doing.
 
This article focuses on a couple of herbal medicines for diabetes including:
 
In addition to these examples of herbal medicine for diabetes, other alternative treatments for diabetes involve:
 
(Click Natural Remedies for Diabetes for more information about the alternative treatments some people try.)
 
Overall, there is limited scientific evidence on the effectiveness of herbal medicine for diabetes. And the evidence that is available is not sufficiently strong to prove that any of the herbal medicines discussed in this article have benefits for type 2 diabetes or its complications.
 
Also, if you decide to use herbal medicine for diabetes, keep in mind that what you see on the label may not accurately reflect what is in the bottle. Some herbal supplements, for example, have been found to be contaminated; some tests of herbal supplements have found that the contents did not match the labeled dose on the bottle.
 
(Herbal Medicine for Diabetes Continued: Page 2)
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD