Lagerstroemia speciosa, also known by the common name “Pride of India”, is a species up to 15 m high, with large, leathery, oblong leaves. The flowers of this species are of variable color, with white, purple and lavender forms, which are used as ornament in many cultures and regions. This species has a wide distribution throughout the Asian continent and Australia, being native to the regions of China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines; The latter being the one from which it receives another of the best-known common names for the plant: “Banaba”.
Leaf extracts of this plant are used to treat diabetes and as a folk medicine in Asia.; thanks to its natural chemical constituents.
have been identified and documented more than 40 compounds from banaba leaves. It mainly contains triterpenes such as:
Ursolic acid.corosolic acid.Asian acid.alphytolic acid.
In addition to: Tannins, ellagic acids, glycosides and flavones (Stohs et al., 2012). Among the most common uses of the plant are:
Its hypoglycemic (antidiabetic) properties.Which is a powerful antibacterial antibiotic.Acts as a natural anti-inflammatory.It is a powerful antioxidant with the capacity to sequester reactive oxygen species.Which exerts a hepato-protective function.
These effects have been addressed over several decades of plant study and research in different in vivo and ex vivo models, and are reflected in a unified manner in the review by Tiwary et al. (2017).
What is banaba used for?
Banaba is a plant that has a long tradition of use, interest in its use as a dietary supplement is not recent, and its leaves have been used in infusions for centuries.
Banaba leaf infusion was traditionally used to lower blood sugar (as an antidiabetic infusion), for weight loss and as an antioxidant and general invigorator, to improve the mood and feeling of vitality of the people who used it.
We currently know the great antidiabetic potential that corosolic acid hasand possibly other less important, and more varied, ellagitannins, which are compounds naturally present in the leaves of the plant.
This is why current popular medicine recommends standardized corosolic acid extracts from banaba leaf as an adjuvant treatment for metabolic alterations linked to altered glucose metabolism; Or in other words, it is recommended for diabetics or pre-diabetic people.
Banaba works because its corosolic acid is capable of modulating the expression of different units of the PPAR (Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma) present in different tissues, affecting the lipid metabolism and can promote fat loss.
In addition, corosolic acid itself has mechanisms associated with the regulation of MPAK, NF-κb and other transduction factors that intervene in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.
Corosolic acid is capable of partially inhibiting Gluco(neo-)genesis and increase glucose uptake by cellswhich contributes to the reduction of blood glucose concentrations, and has a direct antidiabetic effect.
How to take banaba?
There is disparity about the most effective dose of banaba, especially in relation to its corosolic acid content, since the trials that assess its effects are mechanistic and this type of research lacks the ability to establish effective doses or at least, a clear dose. of action.
As most of the use associated with the plant is traditional, we can find recommendations for use as diffuse as “take an infusion of banaba leaves with meals.”
However, When we talk about effectiveness, the recommendation is the one that has been established in the HSN food supplement:
1 capsule a day, of a quality banaba leaf extracthigh concentration and standardized to 2% corosolic acid, providing 10 mg per daily dose.
This is the recommended dose, and the ideal way to take the extract It is just before a meal rich in carbohydrates.
Banaba Extract (10:1) 500mg from EssentialSeries
Does it have side effects and contraindications?
As set out in the review by Stohs et al. (2012), one of the most extensive to date regarding this plant:
“No adverse effects have been observed or reported in animal studies or controlled clinical trials in humans.”
So the plant, It is considered safe for general and routine use.
In the case of extracts, they are already more concentrated presentations and, therefore, may arouse more concern in consumers.
They are also considered completely safe options by the lists of the food authorities of European countries; simply respect the recommended doses on the container of the extract you are going to useand if you want to overcome it, inform your doctor about this decision so that he can recommend how to proceed and can provide you with adequate follow-up according to your needs.
Conclusions
Banaba is a plant that has an extensive history of traditional usefor his antidiabetic properties which have been confirmed in recently (and not so recently) published studies, which is why it is marketed and used as a food supplement.A quality product has to be an extract, of high concentration, obtained from the leaf of the plant, which is the part richest in functional compounds; among which stand out the corosolic acidas it is the main compound investigated in relation to the glucose-regulating properties of this plant.At HSN you can enjoy a highly concentrated extract and a convenient way to use, with only the need to use 1 vegetable capsule per day.The banaba is a plant, also considered as completely safe and absent of reported adverse effects.
Bibliographic references:
Karsono, A. H., Tandrasasmita, O. M., & Tjandrawinata, R. R. (2019). Bioactive fraction from lagerstroemia speciosa leaves (DLBS3733) reduces fat droplet by inhibiting adipogenesis and lipogenesis. Journal of Experimental Pharmacology, 11, 39–51. G., Kim, J., Himmeldirk, K., Cao, Y., & Chen, X. (2007). Antidiabetes and anti-obesity activity of Lagerstroemia speciosa. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 4(4), 401–407. T., Takagi, S., & Ishida, T. (2012). Management of Diabetes and Its Complications with Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and Corosolic Acid. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012, 1–8. S. J., Miller, H., & Kaats, G. R. (2012). A review of the efficacy and safety of banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and corosolic acid. Phytotherapy Research, 26(3), 317–324. B. K., Dutta, S., Dey, P., Hossain, M., Kumar, A., Bihani, S., … Chakraborty, R. (2017). Radical Scavenging Activities of Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. Petal Extracts and its hepato-protection in CCl4-intoxicated mice. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 17(1), 55. J., Zhou, H., Yanan, A. N., Shen, K., & Lu, Y. U. (2020). Biological effects of corosolic acid as an anti-inflammatory, anti-metabolic syndrome and anti-neoplasic natural compound (Review). Oncology Letters, 21(2), 84. https://doi.org/10.3892/OL.2020.12345
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2024-04-15 12:03:08
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