Mulberry Helps Control Blood Sugar And More

As per a randomized clinical trial with 50 people, intake of a mulberry leaf helps lowering the blood sugar thereby reducing the risk of diabetes. Mulberry extracts are being used to treat diabetes in some Asian countries from long ago. It’s benefits are associated with a compound named 1-deoxynojirimyc (DNJ) and its derivatives which are responsible to inhibit the activity of a carbohydrate digesting enzyme called alpha-glycosidase. Mulberry leaf slows this enzyme and the digestion of starch as well, which suppresses blood glucose spikes after eating.

Image Source: washingtonpost.com

Korean researchers from Ewha Woman’s University and the Seoul National University of Science and Technology stated that intake of 2.5 or 5 grams of mulberry leaves helps lowering the blood glucose levels. 

“Ingestion of proper amount of mulberry leaf aqueous extract containing 0.36% DNJ effectively cut down hyperglycemias after a 75g maltose challenge in healthy subjects from the initial measurement at 0-180 min."

Image Source: gstatic.com

As per Korean researchers, mulberry leaf contains dietary fibres, which are the substances that can not be absorbed and therefore it is just and fine to assume that they can act on the rate of gastric emptying and intestinal absorption. This leaf also contains flavonoids and related constituents which help inhibiting glucose uptake as well as alpha-glycosidase activity. These flavonoids are chlorogenic acid, rutin and quercetin. Thus, the lowering of postprandial glucose response after loading with maltose may be attributed to the additive effect of inhibiting maltase and glucose absorption. 

Tests showed that by taking 2.5 and 5 gram mulberry doses, it helped lowering the glucose levels in healthy people. However, there were no such significant differences between the two does. 
[Source: nutraingredients-usa.com]