Round the Mulberry Bush What's the health secret in the mulberry? Here's how Roman poet Horace described it more than 2,000 years ag "A man will pass his summers in health, who will finish his luncheon with black mulberries." Interesting, although a little low on specifics. Let's fast-forward a couple of millennia to June 2007 when this statement appeared in the most recent issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry: "Mulberry 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), a potent glucosidase inhibitor, has been hypothesized to be beneficial for the suppression of abnormally high blood glucose levels and thereby prevention of diabetes mellitus" Now we're getting somewhere! In a nutshell, animal studies have shown that a specific extract of mulberry (DNJ) helps control blood sugar spikes after high-glycemic meals. Could humans enjoy the same benefit? New research from Japan takes an important step in answering that question. A long history In the 2,000 years between Horace and this new study from researchers at Japan's Tohoku University, Chinese and Indian healers used constituents of mulberry leaves and roots to treat fever, depression, high blood pressure, and diabetes. More recently, Japanese scientists have found mulberry-leaf extract to be effective in the inhibition of LDL cholesterol oxidation. In this new Japanese study, researchers began by developing a food-grade powder that contained 1.5 percent DNJ - a higher level than found in typical mulberry extracts, some of which contain DNJ concentrations as low as 0.1 percent. According to the Tohoku team, mulberry leaves taken from top branches during summer months provided the most potent source of DNJ. In the second phase of the study, healthy volunteers were given three dosage levels of DNJ (6, 12, and 18 mg) or a placebo. These doses were followed by 50 grams of sucrose. Plasma glucose and insulin levels were measured before the intervention, and then at 30 minutes and 180 minutes after intervention. Results showed that the 12 and 18 mg doses of DNJ significantly suppressed the elevation of post-meal blood glucose and insulin secretion. In their report, the authors write, "This study suggests that the newly developed DNJ-enriched powder can be used as a dietary supplement for preventing diabetes mellitus."
Botanical bounty Further research is needed before the DNJ used in the Tohoku study is developed for market. In the meantime, you'll probably be hard pressed to locate any type of mulberry extract for sale. But if you happen to be pre-diabetic or otherwise at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes, you should know that there are other botanicals that produce a similar type of protection from repeated blood sugar spikes. This past January I told you about a new HSI report titled "Diabetes Defeated," which details the development of a unique formula of seven herbal extracts that work together to increase glucose metabolism and manage cholesterol levels. These extracts include: * Nopal cactus (helps lower blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels while blocking the absorption of fat)
* Konjac mannan (helps improve insulin resistance and lowers triglycerides)
* Gymnema sylvestre (helps reduce sugar cravings while stimulating insulin secretion) This formula was devised by HSI Panelist Jon Barron. After a long period of experimentation and testing, Jon found just the right mix of herbal extracts, each with a history of successful blood sugar control. You can access your free copy of "Diabetes Defeated" at this link: http://www.hsibaltimore.com/reports/hsi_diabetes_free_report.pdf | 
