What are the Benefits of Banaba Extract?
Banaba Extract’s possible benefits include:
- Anticancer effects.
- Antibacterial and antiviral potential.
- Antithrombotic effect.
- Protection against kidney damage
- Prevent weight gain
Banaba extract contains over 40 active ingredients in which corosolic acid and ellagic acid stand out as they are responsible for most of these benefits.
Corosolic acid and ellagic acid are natural antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals to promote detoxification and reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels leading to a reduced risk of cardiovascular heart disease. Although the effects of banaba leaves on blood cholesterol levels seem promising, more research regarding this subject is warranted.
In the video below, you can learn about 8 Health Benefits of Banaba Leaves:
This is our recommended Banaba Leaf supplement (Amazon’s Choice):
How are Metformin and Banaba leaf beneficial?
Studies show that metformin and banaba leaf extract may be beneficial as they work together to help control blood sugar levels in diabetic patients who are not responding well to oral medications.
Metformin is the first-line agent used for managing adult-onset type II diabetes mellitus. Banaba leaf contains bioactive compounds that improve the body’s sensitivity towards insulin. This helps lower blood sugar levels.
What are the side effects of Banaba leaves?
Current studies show no significant side effects associated with using banaba leaves. Therefore, banaba leaves should be safe to use by most people.
However, It must be noted that excessive use of banana leaves may result in some unpleasant side effects. These effects could include:
- Sleep disturbances
- Diarrhea
- constipation
- Low blood sugar
- Low blood pressure
- Dizziness
A case report conducted on a patient with kidney disease showed that the use of banaba extract supplements resulted in the development of lactic acidosis due to the buildup of corosolic acid, a compound that is found in banaba leaves. Therefore, patients with preexisting medical conditions should seek advice before using such extracts.
What are the benefits of Banaba leaves for kidneys?
Research shows that banaba leaves may benefit the kidneys because of their effect gainst blood sugar and cholesterol.
By reducing blood sugar levels, banaba leaves prevent the formation of harmful glycated proteins, known as advanced glycation end products (AGEs). AGEs damage the kidneys and lead to diabetic kidney disease, a leading cause of chronic kidney disease worldwide.
In the Philippines and Southeast Asia, banaba leaves are used to make tea which is believed to be a natural diuretic. It is considered that banaba tea promotes diuresis and cleanses the kidneys and urinary tract.
Can Banaba tea be used for controlling uric acid?
There is some evidence that supports the use of banaba tea to help control uric acid. A single study conducted in 2004 identified two active compounds in banaba leaf extract that inhibited an enzyme, xanthine oxidase, in the human body that forms uric acid.
Xanthine oxidase inhibitors are used to manage uric acid in individuals with high uric acid levels in the blood. However, more evidence is required to confirm the utility of banaba tea for controlling uric acid.
What is the common name of Banaba?
The common name of Banaba is Queen’s flower tree. It is a tropical tree that is found is commonly found in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It is scientifically known as Lagerstroemia speciosa.
The tree is widely sold in parts of India, Malaysia, and the Philippines, where it’s commonly known as Jarul, Pride of India, or Giant Crape Myrtle.
Does Banaba raise blood pressure?
There is no evidence that supports that banaba raises blood pressure. In theory, banaba should lower blood pressure as animal and human clinical studies suggest that corosolic acid and Penta-O-galloyl-glucopyranose (PGG) in banaba may help lower blood cholesterol levels and triglycerides levels.
Studies also show that banaba contains compounds that inhibit adipogenesis, a process by which fat cells are formed and stored. This may also contribute to banaba’s blood pressure lowering effects.
Is Banaba tea good for diabetics?
Banaba tea is good for diabetics. Banaba tea contains corosolic acid that helps regulates blood sugar levels. Corosolic acid has been reported to decrease blood sugar levels in humans 60 minutes following consumption.
Additionally, in theory, banaba tea may also help prevent the development of diabetes as it prevents weight gain. Being overweight is considered a significant risk factor for developing diabetes mellitus.
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Sources
This article makes use of information from the U.S. National Library of Medicine under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Takagi S, Miura T, Ishihara E, Ishida T, Chinzei Y. Effect of corosolic acid on dietary hypercholesterolemia and hepatic steatosis in KK-Ay diabetic mice. Biomed Res. 2010 Aug;31(4):213-8. doi: 10.2220/biomedres.31.213. PMID: 20834178.
- Tjokroprawiro A, Murtiwi S, Tjandrawinata RR. DLBS3233, a combined bioactive fraction of Cinnamomum burmanii and Lagerstroemia speciosa, in type-2 diabetes mellitus patients inadequately controlled by metformin and other oral antidiabetic agents. J Complement Integr Med. 2016 Dec 1;13(4):413-420. doi: 10.1515/jcim-2016-0031. PMID: 27451997.
- Klein G, Kim J, Himmeldirk K, Cao Y, Chen X. Antidiabetes and Anti-obesity Activity of Lagerstroemia speciosa. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2007 Dec;4(4):401-7. doi: 10.1093/ecam/nem013. PMID: 18227906; PMCID: PMC2176148.
- Unno T, Sugimoto A, Kakuda T. Xanthine oxidase inhibitors from the leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Aug;93(2-3):391-5. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2004.04.012. PMID: 15234783.
