AdriCarlson

Have any of you tried controlling your blood glucose levels by using Banaba extract (or corosolic acid)?

I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2001. I had been feeling very sick for a few weeks (very tired, depressed, thirsty, etc) so I visited my doctor. He did a hemoglobin a1c (which checks to see what the average blood glucose level was for the past two months) and it was around 200ish. He also checked my glucose level in office and it was around 150 fasting. He put me on glucophage xr 2000 mg per day. I had alot of side effects so he moved me to Actos which I liked better since it was so much smaller than the glucophage. hehe.

Both medications controlled my blood glucose very well. I was on the Actos longer since I didn't have any side effects from it, and managed to have several periods. In fact, I was almost regular for about 5 months! My life circumstances changed dramatically and I was suddenly without health insurance and very little money to afford my medicine. First to get cut was the Vaniqa wich was helping quite a bit. One day I read a magazine article about Banaba extract in a GNC magazine. A day or so later I was watching a cable program about this doctor in the Phillipines who treats his type 2 diabetic patients with large doses of Banaba extract tea for three days, and for many years the patients blood glucose levels are stabilized. My interest was piqued and my bank account was begging me to at least try it.

I purchased some Banaba extract and took two capsules each day (a total of 48mg of banaba extract in a soft gel capsule) and I'll be damned if my glucose levels didn't stay under 120. I was shocked. I took it every day for four months (I had stopped taking the Actos a day before I started the Banaba). After four months I was curious how long I could go without taking a Banaba pill before my sugars went up. I was curious about this because it seemed like it didn't matter what I ate during this time period, my blood glucose was ALWAYS good. So I quit taking the Banaba. That was back in November of 2003 and to this day my glucose levels are still good. So good in fact that I'm getting screwed out of taking Metformin from my NP because she says that I don't need it since I don't have high blood sugars(I've decided that since Metformin is so good at regulating menses and helping with the other symptoms of PCO, I'd try it again and just deal with the side effects of the meds). LOL, just seven months ago I was diabetic. So in my particular case either I never had diabetes at all (despite very high blood sugars and high a1c test results) or I cured my own type 2 diabetes with Banaba extract. (At least temporarily).

Just curious to know if anyone else has tried this and had the same results. I have read the studies about Banaba and they have said that people who have stopped taking have had normal glucose levels for up to four weeks afterward, but the study participants only took the Banaba for like 4 weeks or so. So considering that I took it for four months, maybe that's why I can go longer without needing it? /shrug.

Adri
New member: 227 LBS
Sugar Busters Diet Since April 15, 2004
Exercising six days a week and weight training
Total pounds lost: ZERO
PCO since 1995