Mulberry Leaf and Diabetes

It is thought that mulberry might be beneficial in helping to control diabetes. There may be chemicals in white mulberry that work in a similar way to some medicines used for type 2 diabetes. They slow the breakdown of sugars in the gut so that they are absorbed more slowly into the blood. This helps the body keep blood sugar levels in the desirable range.

Mulberry is available as an herbal supplement for this purpose from several sources. Additional studies are ongoing, and the following recent study on mice seems to support mulberry's value in this area.

Doctors said that mulberry helps skeletal muscle metabolize glucose. In the lab, one group of diabetic mice had mulberry leaf extract added to the diet for eight weeks while another group got metformin, a standard anti-diabetes drug.

The mulberry group had better glucose handling, lower fasting glucose and insulin levels, increased sensitivity to insulin, improved levels of triglycerides and cholesterol, and reduced signs of fatty liver. 

Doctors said mulberry exerts antidiabetic activity by stimulating glucose disposal in skeletal muscle. (Reference 3: Food & Nutrition; 2018, Vol. 62, Published Online)