Banaba Leaf

Last Updated: September 28 2022

Lagerstroemia, also known as Banaba, is a plant whose leaves have been used for anti-diabetic purposes. It contains a variety of molecules such as corosolic acid which may confer benefit to glucose control.

Banaba Leaf is most often used for

Summary

Lagerstroemia is the species of plant commonly known as Banaba. It is a herb with a blend of compounds that, holistically, seem to be catered towards being anti-diabetic in nature.

It can inhibit uptake (digestion and absorption) of carbohydrates to a degree, and can also aid in their deposition into cells from the blood stream (resulting in a reduction in blood sugar).

What else is Banaba Leaf known as?
Note that Banaba Leaf is also known as:
  • Crape Myrtle
  • Crepe Myrtle
  • Lagerstroemia
  • Banaba
Banaba Leaf should not be confused with:
  • Banana (fruit)
Dosage information

An oral supplement of 3,000mg of the leaf extract from Banaba appears to be used with efficacy. Other Banaba supplements may have concentrated supplements which increase the corosolic acid content, in which a 2:1 extract of 1,500mg would be equivalent to the 3,000mg leaf extract.

Although the above dose is currently recommended, it is not known if this is the optimal dose or not. Furthermore, it is not known whether or not this supplement needs to be taken with meals (although it is recommended out of prudency for the purposes of helping glucose tolerance to take it with meals).

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References
2.^Klein G, Kim J, Himmeldirk K, Cao Y, Chen XAntidiabetes and Anti-obesity Activity of Lagerstroemia speciosaEvid Based Complement Alternat Med.(2007 Dec)
3.^Hou W, Li Y, Zhang Q, Wei X, Peng A, Chen L, Wei YTriterpene acids isolated from Lagerstroemia speciosa leaves as alpha-glucosidase inhibitorsPhytother Res.(2009 May)
4.^Hosoyama H, Sugimoto A, Suzuki Y, Sakane I, Kakuda TIsolation and quantitative analysis of the alpha-amylase inhibitor in Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) Pers. (Banaba)Yakugaku Zasshi.(2003 Jul)
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7.^Unno T, Sugimoto A, Kakuda TXanthine oxidase inhibitors from the leaves of Lagerstroemia speciosa (L.) PersJ Ethnopharmacol.(2004 Aug)
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15.^Ichikawa H, Yagi H, Tanaka T, Cyong JC, Masaki TLagerstroemia speciosa extract inhibit TNF-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB in rat cardiomyocyte H9c2 cellsJ Ethnopharmacol.(2010 Mar 2)
16.^Kesavanarayanan KS, Sathiya S, Ranju V, Sunil AG, Ilavarasan R, Saravana Babu C, Kavimani S, Prathiba DIn vitro cytotoxic, antioxidative and alpha-glucosidase inhibitory potential of a herbal mixture comprised of Allium sativum and Lagerstroemia speciosaEur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci.(2012 Jul)
17.^Fukushima M, Matsuyama F, Ueda N, Egawa K, Takemoto J, Kajimoto Y, Yonaha N, Miura T, Kaneko T, Nishi Y, Mitsui R, Fujita Y, Yamada Y, Seino YEffect of corosolic acid on postchallenge plasma glucose levelsDiabetes Res Clin Pract.(2006 Aug)
18.^Hattori K, Sukenobu N, Sasaki T, Takasuga S, Hayashi T, Kasai R, Yamasaki K, Hazeki OActivation of insulin receptors by lagerstroeminJ Pharmacol Sci.(2003 Sep)
19.^Takagi S, Miura T, Ishihara E, Ishida T, Chinzei YEffect of corosolic acid on dietary hypercholesterolemia and hepatic steatosis in KK-Ay diabetic miceBiomed Res.(2010 Aug)
20.^Miura T, Takagi S, Ishida TManagement of Diabetes and Its Complications with Banaba (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.) and Corosolic AcidEvid Based Complement Alternat Med.(2012)
24.^Hayashi T, Maruyama H, Kasai R, Hattori K, Takasuga S, Hazeki O, Yamasaki K, Tanaka TEllagitannins from Lagerstroemia speciosa as activators of glucose transport in fat cellsPlanta Med.(2002 Feb)
27.^Miura T, Itoh Y, Kaneko T, Ueda N, Ishida T, Fukushima M, Matsuyama F, Seino YCorosolic acid induces GLUT4 translocation in genetically type 2 diabetic miceBiol Pharm Bull.(2004 Jul)
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