Diving into the science behind Gymnema sylvestre, an herb that dulls sweet taste perception and may reduce sugar cravings. Why this "sugar destroyer" could help you cut back on sugar and support your health goals.
Diving into the science behind Gymnema sylvestre, an herb that dulls sweet taste perception and may reduce sugar cravings. Why this "sugar destroyer" could help you cut back on sugar and support your health goals.
Mentioned in this episode:
The Effect of a 14-Day gymnema sylvestre Intervention to Reduce Sugar Cravings in Adults
Hello and welcome to the Nutrition Diva podcast, a show where we take a closer look at nutrition news, research, and trends so that you can make more informed choices about what you eat. I’m your host Monica Reinagel.
It’s New Year’s Resolution season and one of the most popular resolutions is to cut down on sugar. So I thought this would be a good time to revisit the science on Gymnema silvestre–an herbal supplement that claims to reduce sugar cravings. Could this be a useful tool in your efforts to cut back on sugar?
There are definitely some compelling reasons to moderate our consumption of added sugars. And there is also some promising research on Gymnema as a useful tool in this regard. But before we dig into that, let me take this opportunity to clear up a couple of common myths about sugar.
Some claim, for example, that eating sugar fuels cancer growth or weakens the immune system. While it’s true that cancer cells use glucose to fuel their growth, so do all the cells in your body. There is no credible evidence that eating sugar directly speeds up cancer progression or that adopting a sugar-free diet will slow cancer growth. Similarly, there’s no strong evidence that sugar impairs your immune response to infections like colds or the flu.
Another myth is that diets high in sugar increase your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes. While this disease is characterized by an impaired ability to properly metabolize dietary sugars, a diet high in sugar does not necessarily lead to Type 2 diabetes. Factors such as excess body weight, sedentary behavior, and genetics play a more significant role.
For me, the primary reason to limit added sugar is that foods high in sugar are often sources of excess and empty calories, which can crowd out more nutritious options and contribute to being overweight.
Often, when people decide that they want to cut down on sugar, they are often drawn to more drastic interventions, such as a zero-sugar challenge. But completely eliminating sugar from your diet is pretty difficult–and not really necessary. Getting your added sugar consumption down to recommended limits (generally, 6-10 tsp or 25-40 grams per day) is probably a more sustainable goal. That said, depending on your previous habits, even this might be pretty challenging at first.
But what if sweets didn’t taste sweet? Would they lose their appeal? This is the idea behind mints and sprays containing the herb Gymnema sylvestre. It’s native to India, where it’s been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine for managing diabetes (among other things). In fact, the Hindi name for Gymnema, gurmar, translates to "destroyer of sugar."
And, indeed, it does have a very strange and unique property. When you eat this herb, compounds called gymnemic acids bind to the sweet taste receptors on your tongue, making sweet foods taste less sweet or even tasteless. This effect is temporary, lasting around 30 to 60 minutes, but it can have a profound impact on how you experience sugary foods during that time.
When I first covered this topic back in 2018, I mentioned a small placebo-controlled trial in which subjects were allowed to eat a piece of their favorite candy. After they enjoyed their treat, some of the subjects were given a gymnemic acid lozenge and others were given a placebo lozenge. Then, they were all offered more of their favorite candy. Those who got the active lozenge consumed 44% less candy than those who got the placebo.
I tried this myself with a product called “Sweet Defeat.” The hard candy was slightly sweet and pleasantly minty but as it dissolved on my tongue, the strangest thing happened. As the gymnemic acid interacted with the taste receptors on the surface of my tongue, the taste of the lozenge changed. It was like watching a color photograph fade to black and white. The sweetness diminished until the lozenge had no flavor whatsoever.
Then, to test the effect, I tried eating a few raisins and found them weirdly tasteless. It’s very strange to experience the texture of foods like raisins without the sweetness! I’ve always thought that the chewiness of raisins was one of the things I liked about them. But without the reward of the sweet taste, raisins had very little appeal. It was like chewing on rubber bands. I had no desire to continue eating them.
The lozenge did not affect my ability to taste other flavors. I could still taste (and enjoy) the pleasant combination of bitterness and creaminess of my unsweetened iced coffee with milk, for example. But soda (or diet soda, for that matter) tasted like slightly sour club soda.
In the interests of science, I tried another raisin every 15 minutes or so just to see how long it would be before they started tasting like raisins again. In my case, the effect of the lozenge lasted about 60 minutes.
If a treat doesn’t taste particularly good, you’re less likely to continue eating it–and this effect was confirmed by that early study. Compared with the placebo group, those who used the active lozenges subsequently ate less candy. But there was another intriguing finding. Those who had gymnema lozenges were also more likely to decide they didn’t want another piece of candy—even before they had experienced the disappointingly-altered taste. It seems that the inability to perceive sweetness doesn’t just make it harder to enjoy a treat. It makes you less interested in having it. It’s almost as if the part of your brain that wants something sweet can already tell that this sensation is not available.
Intriguing, right? To be clear, I wouldn’t use this as my one and only strategy for reducing sugar intake. I still strongly suggest limiting the amount of sweet foods and beverages in your home, car, and (to the extent that you can control it) in your workplace. Out of sight, out of mind. I also don’t think that a product like this replaces the benefits of mindful eating and enjoyment. And I certainly wouldn’t recommend this as a way to cope with binge eating. For help with binge eating and related disorders, I highly recommend checking out the resources at the National Eating Disorders Association- NEDA [national eating disorders.org
Since 2018, more research has been conducted on Gymnema sylvestre. A longer, 2022 study explored the effects of a 14-day Gymnema intervention in healthy adults. Participants in the Gymnema group reported reduced desire for sweet foods and ate fewer sugary treats compared to the placebo group. Over time, participants reported a reduced overall preference for sugary foods–not just immediately after using the product.
Beyond its effect on the taste buds, Gymnema may also affect how your body processes dietary sugars. Compounds in the herb appear to bind to glucose receptors in the gut, which then reduces the amount of sugar that is absorbed into the bloodstream. It also stimulates the pancreatic cells that produce insulin.
A 2021 meta-analysis reviewed data from 10 human trials involving people with Type 2 diabetes. The results showed that Gymnema supplementation (in capsule form rather than a lozenge) lowered fasting blood sugar, post-meal blood sugar, and HbA1c levels—a marker of long-term blood sugar control.
The amount of gymnema used in supplement form is quite a bit higher than what you’d get from a lozenge. Where a lozenge might contain 4 mg of Gymnema, you might take 400 to 600 mg a day as a supplement.
With any supplement, of course, potential benefits must be weighed against potential harms or risks. So, let’s take a look at the safety considerations.
Gymnema sylvestre is considered safe at doses of up to 10 g per day–which is about 20 times more than the most commonly recommended daily dose. Mild side effects, such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, and headache, have been reported. There have also been a couple of case reports of liver problems. Although these appear to be rare cases, anyone with other conditions or factors affecting liver function should be especially careful.
Hypoglycemia is another potential risk of Gymnema supplementation. Since it’s often used to lower blood sugar levels, there’s a potential for dangerously low blood sugar levels–especially if it’s being combined with other antidiabetic medications. People with diabetes should consult their healthcare provider before beginning supplementation and monitor their blood glucose closely to avoid hypoglycemic episodes.
Lastly, Gymnema could alter the absorption, efficacy, and side effects of various medications, including those used to treat diabetes. If you are on any medication, consult your healthcare provider or pharmacist before using Gymnema supplements.
But to return to the more quotidian concern of sugar cravings, you could experiment with gymnema-containing lozenges, mints, or sprays, which will temporarily disable your ability to perceive sweetness. Here are a couple of situations in which a product like this could be useful:
Reducing sugar intake can lead to better nutrition and health, but it doesn’t have to mean giving up all sweet pleasures. The trick is to enjoy sweet treats in moderation–and tools like Gymnema could make that a bit easier. If you give this one a try, be sure to let me know how it works for you. You can email me at nutrition@quickanddirtytips.com You can also leave me a message at 443-961-6206
Nutrition Diva is a Quick and Dirty Tips podcast. Our team includes Brannan Goetschius, Nathan Semes, Davina Tomlin, Holly Hutchings, and Morgan Christianson.and Nathaniel Hoopes.
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That's all for this episode. Thanks for listening! I'll see you next week.