Plant Profile

Gymnema

Compiled by the Omnia Sana editorial team from the plant database ·Last updated August 15, 2026

Gymnema sylvestre

Family: Apocynaceae · Parts used: Leaf · Also known as: Gurmar, Australian Cowplant, Periploca of the Woods, Meshasringi

The complete database record: 2 documented constituents, 2 pharmacological actions, 3 traditional / indicated uses, with 12 cited sources.

Botanical Description

Woody climbing vine with velvety, opposite, oval leaves. Small, inconspicuous, yellowish flowers are borne in umbel-like clusters, followed by slender, boat-shaped seed pods. Chewing the leaf temporarily and selectively blocks the perception of sweetness, giving the plant its Hindi name 'gurmar' (sugar destroyer).

Height: Woody climbing vine, several metres over support

Habit: Woody, climbing perennial vine

Leaves: Velvety, opposite, oval; chewing temporarily blocks sweet-taste perception

Flowers: Small, inconspicuous, yellowish, in umbel-like clusters

Stem: Woody, climbing, twining over support

Root: Fibrous root system

Fruit: Slender, boat-shaped seed pod

Flowering Period: Varies with climate

Habitat & Distribution

Native to the tropical forests of India, Sri Lanka and other parts of South and Southeast Asia and tropical Africa, growing as a climber in forest margins and scrub.

Harvesting

Leaves are picked through the growing season and dried for use in decoctions or extracts.

Parts: Leaf

Key Constituents

Gymnemic acids (triterpene saponins)^{[6, 7, 8]}

Main bioactives; suppress sweet taste and are linked to reduced intestinal glucose absorption and improved glycaemic control.

Gurmarin^{[7, 8]}

A peptide that transiently blunts sweet-taste perception.

Pharmacological Actions

Antidiabetic (blood-sugar lowering)^{[1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11]}

Leaf extracts lower fasting and post-prandial blood glucose and glycated haemoglobin in type 2 diabetics, partly via reduced intestinal glucose absorption (alpha-glucosidase/amylase inhibition) and support of insulin secretion.

Parts: Leaf

Lipid-lowering^{[3, 8, 10]}

Supplementation has been associated with a favourable shift in the lipid profile alongside glucose lowering.

Parts: Leaf

Traditional & Indicated Uses

Blood sugar / diabetes support^{[2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11]}Strong · 10/10

Evidence: 10

Label: Blood sugar / diabetes support

more plants for blood sugar / diabetes support →detailed sources →

Metabolic support^{[4, 6, 10]}Good · 7/10

inferred from antidiabetic action

Evidence: 7

Label: Metabolic support

more plants for metabolic support →detailed sources →

High cholesterol^{[3, 8, 10]}Strong · 9/10

inferred from lipid-lowering action

Evidence: 9

Label: High cholesterol

more plants for high cholesterol →detailed sources →

Traditional Use & History

Gymnema leaf (gurmar) has a long Ayurvedic tradition as a remedy for 'madhumeha' (sweet urine, diabetes), chewed or taken as a decoction to reduce sugar cravings and support healthy blood sugar; this traditional antidiabetic reputation is now supported by clinical trials of standardised leaf extracts in type 2 diabetes.^{[6, 7, 8]}

Preparations

Standardised extract^[6]

Leaf extract standardised to gymnemic acid content, taken as capsules; the form used in most clinical glycaemic-control studies.

Dosage

Standardised extract^[6]

Clinical trials in type 2 diabetes commonly use around 400-800 mg of standardised leaf extract daily, in divided doses. Educational reference only, not a prescription.

Safety, Cautions & Contraindications

Safety note^{[6, 10, 12]}Caution

Gymnema lowers blood sugar and can add to the effect of diabetes medicines or insulin, risking hypoglycaemia; people on such treatment should monitor blood glucose closely and may need a dose adjustment supervised by their clinician. Rare drug-induced liver injury has been reported. Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding (insufficient safety data).

Herb-Drug Interactions

Antidiabetics^{[6, 10]}Caution

Mechanism: Gymnema lowers blood glucose and can add to the effect of diabetes medicines (metformin, sulfonylureas, insulin and others), so combined use may cause blood sugar to fall too low; monitor closely and adjust medication doses under medical supervision.

Reviewed By: Omnia Sana (owner-authorized)

Reviewed Date: 2026-07-03

Herb-Herb Pairings

Fenugreek^[7]

Gymnema and fenugreek both lower blood sugar; taking them together may add up and push blood glucose too low, especially alongside diabetes medication, so monitor and use caution.

Type: caution

Reviewed By: Omnia Sana (owner-authorized)

Reviewed Date: 2026-07-03

Bitter Melon^[7]

Gymnema and bitter melon both lower blood sugar; combined use may add up and risk hypoglycaemia, particularly with diabetes drugs, so monitor blood glucose.

Type: caution

Reviewed By: Omnia Sana (owner-authorized)

Reviewed Date: 2026-07-03

Cassia Cinnamon^[7]

Gymnema and cassia cinnamon are both used to lower blood sugar; together their effects may add up, so watch for low blood sugar when combining them or using them with diabetes medication.

Type: caution

Reviewed By: Omnia Sana (owner-authorized)

Reviewed Date: 2026-07-03

Botanical Synonyms

Asclepias geminata, Periploca sylvestris

Harvest Readiness

^[9]

Part: leaf

Signals: Hand-pluck only the MATURE leaves, leaving the immature ones on the vine to mature for the following picking; as an evergreen tropical climber gurmar has no seasonal window, and two non-destructive pickings a year are taken from the same plants.

Basis: traditional

Source Quote: Only mature leaves (60%) were hand plucked in the month of October. Second harvest was done in the month of June.

Species Confirmed: 1

Notes: Pandey & Yadav, Pharmacognosy Research 2010 (REF-3377), an open-access study that standardised non-destructive harvesting of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. The readiness stage is LEAF MATURITY, not a date: the same paper reports that 'the leaves left at the time of 1(st) harvest during October matured in June at the time of 2(nd) harvest', and that the practice 'did not have any negative impact on overall development of the plant'. Supersedes the earlier dead end (Useful Tropical Plants gave no leaf-harvest timing). Single lineage -> provisional.

External Identifiers

GBIF ›Plants of the World Online ›Wikidata ›

References & Sources

Khan, V., Najmi, A.K., Akhtar, M., Aqil, M., Mujeeb, M. and Pillai, K.K (2012) 'A pharmacological appraisal of medicinal plants with antidiabetic potential', Journal of Pharmacy and Bioallied Sciences, 4(1), pp. 27-42. doi:10.4103/0975-7406.92727 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.4103/0975-7406.92727
Devangan, S., Varghese, B., Johny, E., Gurram, S. and Adela, R (2021) 'The effect of Gymnema sylvestre supplementation on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Phytotherapy Research, 35(12), pp. 6802-6812. doi:10.1002/ptr.7265 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7265
Zamani, M., Ashtary-Larky, D., Nosratabadi, S., Bagheri, R., Wong, A., Rafiei, M.M., Asiabar, M.M., Khalili, P., Asbaghi, O. and Davoodi, S.H (2022) 'The effects of Gymnema Sylvestre supplementation on lipid profile, glycemic control, blood pressure, and anthropometric indices in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis', Phytotherapy Research, 37(3), pp. 949-964. doi:10.1002/ptr.7585 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.7585
Bandala, C., Carro-Rodriguez, J., Cardenas-Rodriguez, N., Pena-Montero, I., Gomez-Lopez, M., Hernandez-Roldan, A.P., Huerta-Cruz, J.C., Munoz-Gonzalez, F., Ignacio-Mejia, I., Dominguez, B. and Lara-Padilla, E (2024) 'Comparative Effects of Gymnema sylvestre and Berberine on Adipokines, Body Composition, and Metabolic Parameters in Obese Patients: A Randomized Study', Nutrients, 16(14), pp. 2284. doi:10.3390/nu16142284 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16142284
Turner, S., Diako, C., Kruger, R., Wong, M., Wood, W., Rutherfurd-Markwick, K., Stice, E. and Ali, A (2022) 'The Effect of a 14-Day Gymnema sylvestre Intervention to Reduce Sugar Cravings in Adults', Nutrients, 14(24), pp. 5287. doi:10.3390/nu14245287 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14245287
Baskaran, K., Kizar Ahamath, B., Radha Shanmugasundaram, K. and Shanmugasundaram, E.R (1990) 'Antidiabetic effect of a leaf extract from Gymnema sylvestre in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients', Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 30(3), pp. 295-300. doi:10.1016/0378-8741(90)90108-6 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-8741(90)90108-6
Alam, F., Shafique, Z., Amjad, S.T. and Bin Asad, M.H.H (2018) 'Enzymes inhibitors from natural sources with antidiabetic activity: A review', Phytotherapy Research, 33(1), pp. 41-54. doi:10.1002/ptr.6211 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.6211
Tiwari, Pragya and Mishra, B. N. and Sangwan, Neelam S (2014) 'Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Gymnema sylvestre: an important medicinal plant', BioMed Research International, 2014, pp. 830285. doi:10.1155/2014/830285 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/830285
Pandey, Ashok Kumar and Yadav, Swati (2010) 'Variation in gymnemic acid content and non-destructive harvesting of Gymnema sylvestre (Gudmar)', Pharmacognosy Research, 2(5), pp. 309--312. doi:10.4103/0974-8490.72330 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-8490.72330
Kumar, S.N., Mani, U.V. and Mani, I (2010) 'An open label study on the supplementation of Gymnema sylvestre in type 2 diabetics', Journal of Dietary Supplements, 7(3), pp. 273-282. doi:10.3109/19390211.2010.505901 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.3109/19390211.2010.505901
Leach, Matthew J (2007) 'Gymnema sylvestre for diabetes mellitus: a systematic review', Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 13(9), pp. 977-983. doi:10.1089/acm.2006.6387 Meta-analysis / review
https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2006.6387
Shiyovich, A., Sztarkier, I. and Nesher, L (2010) 'Toxic hepatitis induced by Gymnema sylvestre, a natural remedy for type 2 diabetes mellitus', The American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 340(6), pp. 514-517. doi:10.1097/MAJ.0b013e3181f41168 Clinical study
https://doi.org/10.1097/MAJ.0b013e3181f41168

Selected studies & references

ReviewThe effects of Gymnema Sylvestre supplementation on lipid profile, glycemic control, blood pressure, and anthropometric indices in adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis source↗ (2022)

ReviewThe effect of Gymnema sylvestre supplementation on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis source↗ (2021)

ReviewEnzymes inhibitors from natural sources with antidiabetic activity: A review source↗ (2018)

ReviewPhytochemical and pharmacological properties of Gymnema sylvestre: an important medicinal plant source↗ (2014)

ReviewA pharmacological appraisal of medicinal plants with antidiabetic potential source↗ (2012)

ReviewGymnema sylvestre for diabetes mellitus: a systematic review source↗ (2007)

RctComparative Effects of Gymnema sylvestre and Berberine on Adipokines, Body Composition, and Metabolic Parameters in Obese Patients: A Randomized Study source↗ (2024)

RctThe Effect of a 14-Day Gymnema sylvestre Intervention to Reduce Sugar Cravings in Adults source↗ (2022)

All 11 studies in the Knowledge Finder →

Educational use only. This profile summarises traditional and scientific sources for reference. It is not medical advice and not a substitute for a qualified practitioner. Some plants carry safety cautions and drug interactions - always check before use.
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.

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