Bittersweet Q: I recently read about an herb used for diabetes called gymnema and was wondering if it can be used in children. If so, what dosage for what ages? A: We featured gymnema in the "Botanical of the Month" column in the January 2002 issue of Nutrition & Healing. While I read just about everything I can get my hands on to stay on top of nutritional therapies, no one knows herbs better than the author of the original article, my friend and colleague, Kerry Bone. So, I passed your question on to him. Here's what Kerry had to say: Gymnema works rapidly to remove the taste of the sugar: When you put it in your mouth, taste buds don't detect sweet flavors. So within minutes, eating a cookie tastes like eating a wad of salt and flour -- not very appetizing.
It also works quickly to control blood sugar levels, which is why it has been used for over 2,000 years to treat diabetes. Used on its own, it won't drop your blood sugar levels enough to cause hypoglycemia. But, it is important to point out that there is the risk that this could happen if it's used with insulin or anti-diabetic drugs. So in these cases, gymnema should only be taken under professional supervision. Working with my patients, I've found that gymnema is suitable for use in children, and is particularly valuable in delaying the onset of type 1 diabetes (where there is sufficient warning of its development). Children should be given a fraction of the adult dose. To figure out how much to give, divide the child's weight in pounds by the number 130. That's the fraction of the adult dose you should use. For example, if the child weighs 65 lbs. then he would receive half the adult dose.
You should be able to find gymnema at your local health food store, and keep in mind that it works best when taken about 10 to 15 minutes before meals. |
