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Gudmar Herb

Gymnema sylvestre

Gudmar Herb (Gymnema sylvestre) is a plant drug, also called Mesasringi and Guriamara. Whole herb products are less concentrated than standardized extracts.

Key facts
Botanical nameGymnema sylvestre
FamilyApocynaceae · other entries in this family
OrderGentianales
Also known asGudmar Herb, GudmarHerb
Taxon identifiersGBIF 8040540 · Wikidata Q2725835 · NCBI Taxonomy 4068
Names in other languages
Sanskritमेषशृङ्गी (meṣaśṛṅgī)
Hindiगुड़मार (guṛamāra)
Tamilசிறுகுறிஞ்சா

Sources: Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol V, monograph 52 MEṢAŚṚṄGĪ (Gymnema sylvestre R. Br.), Hindi: Gudmaar.; Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I Vol V, monograph 52 is titled MEṢAŚṚṄGĪ for the root of Gymnema sylvestre R. Br., Sanskrit synonyms Madhunāśinī, Ajaśṛṅgī; Madras Tamil Lexicon / Winslow s.v. குறிஞ்சா: 'periploca sylvestris, சிறுகுறிஞ்சா', Periploca sylvestris Retz. being the basionym of Gymnema sylvestre; API Vol V calls the drug's English name 'Periploca of the woods'.. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2003 to 2024, every one with a DOI.

  • 4Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
  • 4Randomised controlled trials
  • 4Other clinical studies and reviews

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

This entry and gudmar describe the same drug, Gymnema sylvestre, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use, and each is cited as itself.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishGudmar Herb

What is it made of?

The marker compounds are listed under Dosage forms and preparation, below.

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Dried leaf (whole/cut), Leaf powder, Herbal tea (infusion/decoction), Capsule (whole herb), Tincture (1:5 in 60% ethanol)

Standard Dosage: Dried leaf: 2-4g as infusion/decoction 2-3 times daily; Leaf powder: 3-6g twice daily; 500mg whole leaf capsule 3 times daily; 3-5ml tincture three times daily. Whole herb products are less concentrated than standardized extracts.

Optimal Timing: Tea or capsule 15-30 minutes before meals; traditional leaf chewing before meals for sweet-taste suppression

Storage: Dried leaf: airtight, moisture-proof containers below 25 deg C in dark place. Tea bags: individually sealed, nitrogen-flushed. Powder: airtight, opaque containers with desiccant.

Marker Compounds: Gymnemic acids (total, 1-4% in whole leaf), Gurmarin (peptide), Beta-sitosterol, Stigmasterol, Flavonoids, Total tannins

Synergistic Combinations

  • Same synergies as Gudmar (standardized) but at whole-herb potency levels
  • With Jamun (Syzygium) leaf in a traditional tea blend
  • With Neem leaf for blood-purifying and metabolic tea
  • With Tulsi for immune-metabolic herbal tea combination

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses4

  1. Devangan S, Varghese B, Johny E and others. 2021. The effect of Gymnema sylvestre supplementation on glycemic control in type 2 diabetes patients: A systematic review and meta-analysisPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 34467577 · doi:10.1002/ptr.7265
  2. Aumeeruddy MZ, Mahomoodally MF. 2021. Ethnomedicinal Plants for the Management of Diabetes Worldwide: A Systematic ReviewCurrent medicinal chemistry. PMID 33475054 · doi:10.2174/0929867328666210121123037
  3. Pothuraju R, Sharma RK, Chagalamarri J and others. 2014. A systematic review of Gymnema sylvestre in obesity and diabetes managementJournal of the science of food and agriculture. PMID 24166097 · doi:10.1002/jsfa.6458
  4. Yeh GY, Eisenberg DM, Kaptchuk TJ and others. 2003. Systematic review of herbs and dietary supplements for glycemic control in diabetesDiabetes care. PMID 12663610 · doi:10.2337/diacare.26.4.1277

Randomised controlled trials4

  1. Bandala C, Carro-Rodríguez J, Cárdenas-Rodríguez N and others. 2024. Comparative Effects of Gymnema sylvestre and Berberine on Adipokines, Body Composition, and Metabolic Parameters in Obese Patients: A Randomized StudyNutrients. PMID 39064727 · doi:10.3390/nu16142284
  2. Turner S, Diako C, Kruger R and others. 2022. The Effect of a 14-Day gymnema sylvestre Intervention to Reduce Sugar Cravings in AdultsNutrients. PMID 36558446 · doi:10.3390/nu14245287
  3. Gaytán Martínez LA, Sánchez-Ruiz LA, Zuñiga LY and others. 2021. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre Administration on Glycemic Control, Insulin Secretion, and Insulin Sensitivity in Patients with Impaired Glucose ToleranceJournal of medicinal food. PMID 32460589 · doi:10.1089/jmf.2020.0024
  4. Zuñiga LY, González-Ortiz M, Martínez-Abundis E. 2017. Effect of Gymnema sylvestre Administration on Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Sensitivity, and Insulin SecretionJournal of medicinal food. PMID 28459647 · doi:10.1089/jmf.2017.0001

Other clinical studies and reviews4

  1. Perera WPRT, Liyanage JA, Dissanayake KGC and others. 2021. Antiviral Potential of Selected Medicinal Herbs and Their Isolated Natural ProductsBioMed research international. PMID 34926691 · doi:10.1155/2021/7872406
  2. Khan F, Sarker MMR, Ming LC and others. 2019. Comprehensive Review on Phytochemicals, Pharmacological and Clinical Potentials of Gymnema sylvestreFrontiers in pharmacology. PMID 31736747 · doi:10.3389/fphar.2019.01223
  3. Tiwari P, Ahmad K, Baig MH. 2017. Gymnema sylvestre for Diabetes: From Traditional Herb to Future's TherapeuticCurrent pharmaceutical design. PMID 27834124 · doi:10.2174/1381612823666161108162048
  4. Di Fabio G, Romanucci V, Di Marino C and others. 2015. Gymnema sylvestre R. Br., an Indian medicinal herb: traditional uses, chemical composition, and biological activityCurrent pharmaceutical biotechnology. PMID 25860062 · doi:10.2174/138920101606150407112903

Reference lists that include it

Flavonoids, Stigmasterol

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.