Banaba Leaf Extract |
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Introduction & Overview |
Often you will find banaba leaf extract in the list of ingredients for weight loss formulas, and like many other plant extracts there is always some debate on whether the extract is as effective as the plant itself for delivering whatever health claims that are made on behalf of the plant. In this overview of the extract, we will inform you about the possible benefits of banaba leaf, but you may want to dig a little deeper in your own research to determine if the extract of the leaf is as reliable.
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| Ingredients |
Banaba contains an active ingredient called corosolic acid, which is believed to produce a positive effect on blood sugar levels. There has been at least one human study with corosolic acid that showed improvement in blood sugar control in Type II diabetes. All other testing, as far as we understand at the time of this writing, has been conducted on animals, so caution should prevail in accepting the proclaimed benefits of the extract.
We located information on how it is generally administered by natural medicine practitioners: small doses of 8-48 milligrams, with a 1-2 percent concentration of corosolic acid. It is cautioned that an excessive dose of banaba leaf extract may lower the blood sugar levels too low to the point of hypoglycemia.
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| Price |
Many distributors sell banaba leaf extract supplements, but it is also used as an ingredient in weight loss formulas—take your pick. Prices vary considerably. We located a price as low as $4.99 for 90 capsules and as high as $12.00 for 180 capsules at time of review.
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| Information |
The plant itself is native to parts of Southeast Asia and the reason banaba leaf has caught the eye of homeopathic medicine is that it has been observed that the population in that part of the planet consumes the leaf in a brewed tea form. Whether it is coincidence or not, people in Southeast Asia are not plagued with diabetes or kidney and liver disease—some researchers believe that is in direct relation to their tea-drinking habits. It almost goes without saying, but we’ll say it again anyway, there are many “habits” that are a part of some cultures that are not a part of the western lifestyle, specifically, consuming healthier foods and maintaining higher levels of physical activity in society as a whole.
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| Final Facts |
It is difficult to draw definitive conclusions about claims that are made for plant extracts and we would err on the side of naivety to claim that certain plant extracts can’t possibly provide health benefits, when in fact it is true that they may be very beneficial. If the benefits of this plant may bring about better health and possible aid to weight loss efforts, then it may be worthwhile to include in the diet.
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