Herbal Medicine for Diabetes

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

Herbal Medicine for Diabetes: An Overview

Some people with
 diabetes consider using alternative treatments for diabetes, including herbal medicine. Although some types of herbal medicine may be effective, others can be ineffective or even harmful. Patients who use herbal remedies 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 medicines, 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 treating diabetes with herbal medicines. 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.
 

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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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