Plant atlas Short
Gymnema: The Leaf That Mutes the Taste of Sugar
Gymnema (Sugar Destroyer) · ผักเชียงดา · Gymnema sylvestre
Gymnema (Sugar Destroyer) — ผักเชียงดา (phak-chiang-da) — Gymnema sylvestre.
Chew this leaf and sweetness goes flat on your tongue for minutes. The edible part is the leaf. A meta-analysis reported modest changes in fasting and long-term glucose markers in type-2-diabetes studies. It's rich in vitamin C, vitamin A, and iron. Gaeng Phak Chiang Da (a Northern Thai soup) simmers slightly bitter gymnema leaves in a savory dried fish broth with chili paste, which you eat hot with fresh sticky rice. Phak Chiang Da Pad Kai quickly stir-fries fresh gymnema leaves with garlic and eggs, creating a savory side dish for steamed jasmine rice. In Northern Thailand the young leaves are eaten as a vegetable, stir-fried or in soups. Chewing them briefly dulls the taste of sweetness. Eat the leaves with a little oil, which helps your body absorb the beta-carotene it turns into vitamin A. If you take insulin or diabetes medication, gymnema can push your blood sugar too low, so monitor closely and check with your doctor. Train the climbing vine up a trellis and pick the young leaves.
Kaeng Phak Chiangda — แกงผักเซียงดาใส่ปลาแห้ง (gaeng-pak-chiang-da-sai-pla-haeng)
Stir-Fried Gymnema with Egg — ผักเชียงดาผัดไข่ (pak-chiang-da-pad-kai)
Food and nutrients
Rich in: vitamin C, vitamin A, iron
Research context
Gymnema modestly lowered fasting blood sugar and long-term blood sugar in people with type-2 diabetes — Phytotherapy Research, 2021 (meta-analysis)
Sources
Source: Devangan S et al. (2021). Gymnema sylvestre & glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: systematic review/meta-analysis. Phytother Res 35(12):6802-6812. DOI:10.1002/ptr.7265
Narration transcript
Opening
Chew one of these leaves, then bite into sugar and taste almost nothing. Its gymnemic acids plug the sweet sensors on your tongue, so sweetness goes flat for up to an hour. Gymnema — ผักเชียงดา, pak-chee-ang-da. In northern Thailand the young leaves are the part you eat, stir-fried or simmered into soup.
แกงผักเซียงดาใส่ปลาแห้ง (Kaeng Phak Chiangda)
Kaeng phak chiangda simmers slightly bitter gymnema leaves in a dried-fish broth spiked with chili paste, eaten hot with sticky rice.
ผักเชียงดาผัดไข่ (Stir-Fried Gymnema with Egg)
Pak chiang da pad kai stir-fries the young gymnema leaves fast with garlic and beaten egg, served beside steamed jasmine rice.
Nutrition summary
Measured as dried leaf powder, gymnema runs extraordinarily high in chromium and copper, with iron and zinc some way behind them — though you use only a pinch.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is used to build collagen and helps protect cells from oxidative stress.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A contributes to normal vision and helps maintain healthy skin and surface tissues.
Iron
Iron is part of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in your blood, and it supports normal energy metabolism.
Closing
Train this climbing vine up a trellis and keep picking the young leaf tips. If you take insulin or diabetes medication, gymnema can push your blood sugar too low, so monitor it closely and check with your doctor. Follow Longevity Biome, and LIKE this video for regular updates.
Related playlists
Keep watching
