Alternative therapies useful in the management of diabetes: A systematic review
Poonam Tripathi, Awanish Pandey, Rishabh Dev Pandey, Rashmi Srivatava, Shambaditya Goswami · 2011 · 300 citationsRead the paper
Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder in the endocrine system. This dreadful disease is found in all parts of the world and becoming a serious threat of mankind health. There are lots of chemical agents available to control and to treat diabetic patients, but total recovery from diabetes has not been reported up to this date. In addition to adverse effects, drug treatments are not always satisfactory in maintaining euglycemia and avoiding late stage diabetic complications. Alternative to these synthetic agents, plants provided a potential source of hypoglycemic drugs and are widely used in several traditional systems of medicine to prevent diabetes. Several medicinal plants have been investigated for their beneficial effect in different type of diabetes. Other alternative therapies such as dietary supplements, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and yoga therapies less likely to have the side effects of conventional approaches for diabetes.
What the full text shows
Shown in the lab- Gymnema sylvestre extract allowed most patients to discontinue oral medication while maintaining blood sugar control. — 21 of 22 patients (Type 2 diabetes; 400 mg daily extract combined with oral hypoglycemic drugs)
- Fenugreek seed powder reduced postprandial glucose levels during glucose tolerance tests. — 15 g of powder soaked in water (Type 2 diabetes)
- Syncardial massage improved diabetic neuropathy of the lower extremities. — 56% of cases (Diabetic neuropathy)
- Bio-feedback and relaxation therapy decreased average blood glucose. — Significant decrease vs control (Diabetic patients; 3-month duration)
- Vanadyl sulphate improved insulin sensitivity. — 100 mg/day (Type 2 diabetes; euglycemic hyperinsulinimic clamp studies)
- Stress management reduced glycohemoglobin. — Small but significant decrease (Diabetic patients; 1-year duration)
- Setup
- Review of various modalities including herbal extracts, dietary supplements, yoga, acupuncture, massage, and biofeedback.
- How
- Systematic review of existing literature, clinical trials, and animal studies regarding complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) for diabetes.
- Limitations
- Lack of standardized herbal preparations makes results difficult to replicate · Many trials for supplements (e.g., vanadium) are small in scale · Mechanisms of action for some therapies (e.g., acupuncture) remain obscure
Summarized by Gemma 4 from the open-access full text · 9 Oct 2026. Read it