01/24/2019 / By Ellaine Castillo
Calophyllum brasiliense, which is commonly called Santa Maria, is a plant native to Latin America. This subtropical plant is widely used by practitioners of traditional medicine as a remedy for bronchitis, liver disorders, gastrointestinal diseases, pain, inflammation, high blood pressure, rheumatism, and diabetes. However, most of these folkloric uses of Santa Maria have not been extensively studied. Researchers from the Federal University of Amapa in Brazil were especially interested in the anti-diabetic potential of Santa Maria since diabetes affects millions of people around the world.
Diabetes is a condition characterized by high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. It is often caused by an unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and obesity. When left untreated, diabetes can cause a lot of complications because of its damaging effects on the eyes, kidneys, nerves, and heart, making it a leading cause of death worldwide. Although there are conventional medications that help improve diabetes, these often do more harm than good since they are associated with side effects like diarrhea, dangerously low blood sugar levels, heart failure, pancreatitis, and urinary tract infections. Because of these, more people are turning to natural remedies like medicinal plants to improve their condition.
In this study, which was published in The Brazilian Journal of Pharmacognosy, the researchers conducted in vivo experiments in male Wistar rats with streptozotocin-induced diabetes to determine the anti-diabetic activity of hydroethanolic and granulated extracts of Santa Maria. The treatments were given for a period of 30 days, after which the team evaluated the total protein, triglycerides, cholesterol, urea, creatinine, transaminase glutamic oxaloacetic, and glutamic pyruvic transaminase levels. Results showed that Santa Maria extracts significantly reduced these parameters, proving that it has potential use as a natural remedy for diabetes.
Additionally, the researchers determined the compounds that possibly contribute to the anti-diabetic activity of Santa Maria. They found that the extracts contain large amounts of polyphenols and tannins, which have been shown to have antioxidant properties. These compounds help improve diabetes by neutralizing harmful free radicals that contribute to the development of this disease.
From these results, the researchers concluded that Santa Maria has significantly improved diabetes symptoms with the help of its polyphenol and tannin content. With further studies, this plant can be utilized as an alternative to harmful anti-diabetic medications. (Related: Take this FDA-approved diabetes drug, and you might have to amputate your leg, warns the FDA.)
There are many other natural remedies for diabetes that, unlike Santa Maria, are easily found in most homes. Some examples of these include the following:
For more articles about natural remedies for diabetes, visit DiabetesCure.news.
Sources include:
Tagged Under: anti-diabetic, blood sugar levels, Calophyllum brasiliense, cholesterol levels, diabetes remedies, natural cures, natural medicine, natural remedies, plantmedicine, Santa Maria