Gymnema Sylvestre: Blood Sugar Studies and Safety
App Library Tools Pricing Download
[Supplement · Compound guide]

Gymnema Sylvestre: half-life, strengths and approval status

Amounts studied · Approval status · Half-life notes

What is gymnema sylvestre?

Gymnema sylvestre is a plant from India, known in Hindi as gurmar ("sugar destroyer"), used in folk and ayurvedic medicine for diabetes. As a supplement it is taken to lower blood sugar and to curb sugar cravings; its gymnemic acids block the sweet taste receptors on the tongue.

Also known as: gymnema, gurmar, gymnemic acids, Gymnema sylvestre extract.

Amounts studied

A 12-week trial in people with impaired glucose tolerance used 300 mg twice a day (Gaytán Martínez 2021). A 14-day sugar-craving trial used 4 mg of Gymnema sylvestre with 75% gymnemic acids, taken as a mint (Turner 2022). These are study protocols, not a recommendation.

Approval status and how it is used

It is sold in the US as a dietary supplement. Under the 1994 dietary supplement law (DSHEA), FDA does not approve dietary supplements before they are marketed, and the maker, not FDA, is responsible for safety and labeling.

What studies show: a 2021 meta-analysis of 10 studies (419 people with type 2 diabetes) found lower fasting and after-meal blood sugar, HbA1c, triglycerides and total cholesterol, but it compared people with their own starting values rather than with a placebo group (Devangan 2021). In a placebo-controlled trial of 30 people with impaired glucose tolerance, 12 weeks of gymnema lowered 2-hour glucose test results and HbA1c and improved insulin sensitivity (Gaytán Martínez 2021). In a trial of 58 healthy adults, people ate fewer chocolates in the lab right after a gymnema mint, but after 14 days there was no difference from placebo in sweet food intake (Turner 2022). These are small studies.

Safety: a 2010 case report describes toxic hepatitis (drug-induced liver injury) in a person taking gymnema for diabetes; the authors found no earlier reports linking it to liver injury (Shiyovich 2010). The sources here do not describe drug interactions.

Gymnema sylvestre half-life and time to peak

  • Half-lifeNot listed
  • Time to peak (Tmax)Not listed

We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for gymnema that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. Plant and mushroom products are mixtures of many compounds, so no single figure would describe them.

How to track gymnema sylvestre in Dose Track

  1. Add gymnema sylvestre as a custom compound. Start typing its name and Dose Track fills in the details from its research library for you to check, and it sits next to everything else you take.
  2. Log each dose when you take it so your history shows exactly what you took and when.
  3. Set reminders on your own schedule, whether that is daily, weekly or every few days.
  4. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

How Dose Track handles peptides · Reconstitution calculator · Half-life calculator

Berberineberberine HCl, berberine chloride · half-life about 30.6 hours DihydroberberineDHB, dihydro-berberine Chromium (Chromium Picolinate)chromium picolinate, chromium nicotinate White Mulberry Leaf Extractmulberry leaf extract, Reducose

Frequently asked questions

What is the half-life of gymnema sylvestre?+
We could not find a single published half-life or time to peak for gymnema that applies to a supplement dose, so we do not list one. Plant and mushroom products are mixtures of many compounds, so no single figure would describe them.
Does gymnema lower blood sugar?+
Small studies suggest it may. A 12-week placebo-controlled trial in 30 people with impaired glucose tolerance found lower glucose test results and HbA1c, and a 2021 meta-analysis found lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetes, though it compared people with their own starting values rather than with placebo.
Does gymnema stop sugar cravings?+
Briefly, in one trial. People ate fewer chocolates right after a gymnema mint, but after 14 days there was no difference from placebo in how much sweet food they ate.
Can I track gymnema sylvestre in Dose Track?+
Yes. Gymnema sylvestre is in Dose Track's research library, so when you add it as a custom compound its details are filled in for you to check. You can then log each dose next to your other compounds, set reminders on your own schedule, and see your history next to your lab results. Your log is stored on your phone and no account is needed. Data only leaves it for features you choose, like AI answers and lab reading.

Sources

  1. Devangan S, et al. The effect of Gymnema sylvestre supplementation on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2021;35(12):6802-6812.
  2. Gaytán Martínez LA, et al. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre administration on glycemic control, insulin secretion, and insulin sensitivity in patients with impaired glucose tolerance. J Med Food. 2021;24(1):28-32.
  3. Turner S, et al. The effect of a 14-day Gymnema sylvestre intervention to reduce sugar cravings in adults. Nutrients. 2022;14(24):5287.
  4. Shiyovich A, et al. Toxic hepatitis induced by Gymnema sylvestre, a natural remedy for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Am J Med Sci. 2010;340(6):514-517.
  5. FDA. Questions and answers on dietary supplements.

All compound guides · Reconstitution calculator · Supported medications