Traditional treatments for diabetes from Asia and the West Indies

Abstract

The recorded use of plants in the traditional treatment of diabetes mellitus dates from the Ebers papyrus of about 1550 BC, and many anti-diabetic plant preparations have since been described. Plant treatments for diabetes are widely used on all continents, and remain the cornerstone of therapy in regions which lack adequate supplies of conventional medicines (Ref 1). The herbal remedies that once pervaded Europe have now been replaced almost entirely by insulin, oral hypoglycaemic drugs and a re-emphasis towards a more traditional fibre-rich diet. In Britain, the establishment of new cultures, particularly those from the Indian subcontinent and West Indies, has brought a new influx of traditional anti-diabetic medicines, which we consider herein.