Herbal medicine has been found again to be very efficient in treating a wide range of disorders and conditions, from the mildest to the most serious. According to a recent study, silymarin herb is very beneficial for individuals who suffer from type 2 diabetes, as it plays a crucial role in controlling levels of sugar in patients' blood.

Researchers at the Institute of Medicinal Plants in Tehran, Iran pointed out the fact that the silymarin herb's potency to control blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetes sufferers must be mainly due to its rich content of antioxidant compounds. However, the exact chemical(s) which regulate(s) sugar levels in diabetics and how they 'work' is still a mystery for the scientists. Lead author of the study Fallah Huseini said: "We don't know the exact mechanism of action for this effect, but this work shows that silymarin could play an important role in treating type II diabetes."

The particular herbal medicine popularly known as silymarin (Silybum marianum) is extracted from the seeds of the Milk Thistle. Previous studies have shown that it is overloaded with active antioxidant flavonoids which are also very potent against liver damage. Silymarin prevents liver damage and help maintain normal liver function.

In the report published in the Phytotherapy Research Journal, researchers involved in the study pinpointed that the herbal remedy can reduce high amounts of sugar in individuals with health disorders such as diabetes. The study was conducted on 51 volunteers who have developed type 2 diabetes for more than 2 years when the research began.

The subjects were divided into two groups. One group was formed of 25 diabetics who received 200 mg of silymarin supplement 3 times per day throughout a 4 - month period. The other group included the remaining 26 diabetes patients who received placebo for the 4 month trial interval. Overall results of the study showed that the silymarin extract lowered fasting blood glucose levels and glycosylated haemoglobin in patients in the treatment group. On the other hand, no such improvement was noticed in subjects in the placebo group.

"The results are very encouraging, and we now need to do further large multi-centre studies," concluded Fallah Huseini.