What is Gymnema sylvestre?

SCIENTIFIC NAME:
Gymnema sylvestre

FAMILY NAME:
Apocynaceae/ Asclepiadaceae

COMMON NAME:
gymnema, gurmar

Evidence for Efficacy (Human Data)

Clinical Trials Listed Below Substantiating Ingredient Effectiveness

Calcium-potassium salt of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) & to a greater degree, the combination of HCA-SX plus niacin-bound chromium & Gymnema sylvestre extract reduced body weight & BMI, suppressed appetite, improved blood lipids, increased serum leptin & serotonin levels & fat oxidation.
Preuss 2005
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=16366421&dopt=Abstract

The optimal doses of natural extract of (-)-hydroxycitric acid (HCA-SX) and to a greater detree, the combination of HCA-SX, niacin-bound chromium & Gymnema sylvestre extract (400 mg) in 60 moderately obese subjects of ages 21-50, decreased the body weight & body mass index by 5-6%.
Preuss 2004
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15056124?dopt=Abstract

15 subjects pretreated with Gymnema sylvestre in one side of the tongue followed by bilateral application of sucrose reported, to be having a stronger sweet taste in the other side not treated with G. sylvestre and thereby validating the method for taste localization.
Simons 2002
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12006375?dopt=Abstract

GS4 extract (400 mg/day) for 18-20 months reduced blood glucose, glycosylated haemoglobin and glycosylated plasma proteins, allowed reduced conventional drug dosage for 22 Type 2 diabetic patients
Baskaran 1990
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2259217?dopt=Abstract

Sweetness perception of sucrose or aspartame was reduced by oral application of Gymnema sylvestre extracts in half of the test subjects
Brala 1983
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6836034?dopt=Abstract

Suppression of bitter and sweet tastes may be due to neural inhibition rather than chemical interactions in solution or competition of molecules for receptor sites
Lawless 1979
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/479396?dopt=Abstract

Gymnema sylvestre is one of the seven ingredients contained in DEPSYL

http://cms.herbalgram.org/herbmedpro/index.html#param.wapp?sw_page=@subcategory%3FherbID%3D16

http://www.depsyl.com

http://back2basicnutrition.com/

http://bionutritionalresearch.olhblogspace.com