Banaba is the Tagalog name for Lagerstroemia speciosa. There is a standardized extract of Lagerstroemia speciosa, called Glucosol. This botanical has a long history of use as a folk remedy for blood sugar control in the Philippines and elsewhere.

Various animal studies have given credence to the use of banaba for the control of blood sugar levels. An interesting " side effect" of banaba was observed in an animal study, an anti-obesity effect. Young mice were fed a control diet or test diet containing a banaba leaf extract for 12 weeks. There was no difference in the two groups in terms of dietary intake during the experimental period. Body weight gain and adipose (fat) tissue weight were significantly lower in the group that received the banaba extract.

The hypoglycemic effect of L. speciosa extract was also studied using mice that are genetically predisposed to diabetes. After a meal of carbohydrates, the elevation in blood glucose level in the non-insulin dependent diabetic mice was almost entirely suppressed by addition of Lagerstroemia speciosa extract in the diet. Serum insulin levels, the amount of glucose excreted in the urine were also lower in mice fed Lagerstroemia speciosa extract. Furthermore, total cholesterol levels were also lower in mice fed the Lagerstroemia speciosa extract.

Transporting glucose into cells is critical to provide the energy necessary for the cells to carry out their vital functions. Any compound that can stimulate glucose transport will effectively help to lower blood sugar levels. One of the active constituents in L. speciosa is corosolic acid, which is suggested to have insulin like activity. Based on recent research, corosolic acid was observed to be an activator of glucose transport, which ultimately results in a lowering of blood glucose levels.

Lagerstroemia speciosa extract has been observed in human trials to:

• Aid weight loss
• Help maintain normal blood sugar levels