Gymnema sylvester

Commonly found climber throughout India. It grows in dense forests mostly on mango tree or neem tree.

Common (Indian) name:

English : Periploca of the woods; Gymnema
Hindi: Gudmar, merasingi
Canarese: Sanngera, sannagerse
Gujrati: Mardashingi
Marathi: Bediki, kavali, vakundi
Sanskrit: mehashingi, meshavalli, madhunashini, vishani
Tamil: Sirukurinchaan, amudhapushpam, chakkarakkolli.
Telugu: podapatri
Chinese -- Chi Geng Teng

Chemical constituents

(+)- gymnema saponins i-iv, gymnemic acids i-ix, acylated (tigloyl, methylbutroyl, etc) derivatives of deacylgymnemic acid (daga), 3-o-glucuronide of gymnemagenin (3, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28-hexahydroxy-olean-12-ene), gymnemosides a-f, triterpene saponins, dammarene saponins, flavones, anthraquinones, hentri-acontane, pentatriacontane, a and �- chlorophylls, phytin, resins, d-quercitol, tartaric acid, formic acid, butyric acid, lupeol, �-amyrin related glycosides and stigmasterol.

Uses & benefits of gudmar

When used for an extended time period, gudmar reduces blood sugar levels.
It forms one of the ingredients in the manufacture of all natural medication for diabetes, apart from cinnamon, chromium, zinc, biotin, banaba, huckleberry and bitter melon.
Extracts of the herb are believed to treat problems like hyperglycemia, obesity, high cholesterol levels, anemia and digestion.

Gudmar suppresses the taste of sweet foods and consequently reduces the desire to eat.
Its root is made into a paste or powder and applied to the wounds of snakebites.
The herb controls and regulates weight, promotes healthy blood lipid levels, controls sugar craving and curbs sweet tooth.
Gudmar is useful in hepatosplenomegaly, dyspepsia, constipation, jaundice, halminthiasis, cardiopathy and amenorrhoea.
Chewing fresh leaves of Gudmar paralyzes the taste for sweet and bitter substance for some time.