5 Best Metformin Natural Alternatives

More than 37 million Americans have diabetes, however, some people would rather take a more natural route to deal with their blood sugar levels, so what are the best Metformin natural alternatives?

As metformin is a medicine that helps many type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar levels, it’s a vital component of many diabetics’ everyday life.  This article will go more in-depth on each metformin natural alternative.

It’s essential to note that these alternatives aren’t complete substitutes for diabetes care, so you should always consult with your doctor before trying new alternatives.

5 Best Metformin Natural Alternatives

1. Tree Turmeric
2. Lotus Leaf
3. Cinnamon
4. Apple Cider Vinegar
5. Bitter Melon Extract

1. Tree Turmeric

Tree turmeric is an excellent natural alternative to metformin because it contains high amounts of berberine, a chemical that many compare to metformin. Tree turmeric is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat not only diabetes but also high cholesterol, burns, and various other medical conditions.

While still different from metformin, Berberine has been shown to regulate glucose levels in type 2 diabetics. In this study, they gave type 2 diabetics either metformin or berberine to test the efficiency of each, and they found that berberine could be a new drug candidate for type 2 diabetes.

It’s essential not to confuse tree turmeric with turmeric (Curcuma longa). These plants are different and have varying medical benefits.

Therefore, taking tree turmeric every day can be a healthy alternative to metformin. However, as tree turmeric is considered a natural herbal medicine, it’s not approved as a way to treat diabetes. Because of this, you should always consult your doctor beforehand to know if it’s a good alternative for you.

2. Lotus Leaf

Lotus leaf supplements have properties to help control hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) in type 2 diabetics. This study states:

Chronic feeding of lotus leaf extract significantly lowered plasma glucose and blood glycated hemoglobin” compared to the control group.

Therefore, significant amounts of lotus leaf extract reduced high blood sugar. Lotus leaf is also excellent for the following reasons:

• It helps break down fat.
• It decreases swelling.
• It works to kill cancer cells and bacteria.
• It helps to protect the skin, brain, and liver.

While you shouldn’t completely throw out your metformin for lotus leaf extract, it is a powerful natural metformin alternative to consider with your doctor.

3. Cinnamon

Cinnamon is a common natural remedy for many ailments and is something you see some people take every day. You’ve probably heard of people taking a spoonful of cinnamon with honey as a method to boost your immune system and help reduce the risk of heart disease.

Some of the excellent health benefits of cinnamon include:

• It lowers blood sugar.
• It lowers cholesterol.
• It helps prevent tooth decay.
• It helps alleviate allergy symptoms.
• It may help prevent Alzheimer’s Disease.

When it comes to a metformin natural alternatives, cinnamon is a great choice. One study states, “The consumption of cinnamon is associated with a statistically significant decrease in levels of fasting plasma glucose.”

Therefore, using cinnamon as a natural alternative over metformin could help lower blood sugar in type 2 diabetics and provide several other benefits.

Although cinnamon does aid in lowering blood sugar, there still needs to be additional studies conducted before choosing to replace metformin with cinnamon completely.

It’s important to note that cinnamon has not been a proven substitute for metformin, so don’t completely stop taking metformin, and talk to your doctor before doing anything.

4. Apple Cider Vinegar

You’ve probably heard of the mountain of benefits of taking apple cider vinegar daily. You can find apple cider vinegar in many products, including shampoos and conditioners! Some of the many benefits of apple cider vinegar include:

• It improves heart health.
• It fights obesity.
• It treats dandruff.
• It improves blood sugar and insulin levels.

While taking apple cider vinegar every day rather than metformin isn’t recommended, many studies show that vinegar reduces hyperglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes.

While further studies are needed to see if this can substitute metformin, apple cider vinegar is an excellent natural alternative to treating high blood sugar.

5. Bitter Melon Extract

You’re not alone if you’ve never heard of bitter melon extract. Believe it or not, people traditionally used bitter melon extract to treat diabetes, as it contains a chemical that acts like insulin in the body.

Along with treating diabetes, bitter melon extract is known for:

• Treating osteoporosis.
• Improving athletic performance.
• Treating ulcers.
• Being effective against cancer.
• Treating malaria.
• Treating psoriasis.
• Improving pain and inflammation.

Bitter melon is a shrub found all over Asia, including China, Korea, Bangladesh, and India. Many people use bitter melon in recipes due to its healing aspects and the various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants found in it that are essential to overall health.

This study found that bitter melon extract resulted in a decrease in blood glucose concentration and body weight.

Therefore, it’s shown to act very similarly to metformin- making it an excellent natural alternative to the drug.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Can I Take Naturally To Replace Metformin?

You can take berberine as a natural way to replace metformin. Berberine, found in high doses in tree turmeric, is a chemical that works very similarly to metformin. Both metformin and berberine work to lower high blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics.

Is There a Natural Source of Metformin?

Yes, there is a natural source of metformin. Original developers extracted Metformin from the plant Galega officinalis, also known as goat’s rue. This plant is rich in glargine, which works to lower blood glucose levels.

What Happens if You Stop Taking Metformin?

If you stop taking metformin, your blood sugar can reach dangerously high levels. You shouldn’t stop taking metformin unless you were told to by your doctor, as it can be fatal. Symptoms of high blood sugar include increased thirst, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.

We hope we were able to answer your question about the best natural alternatives of Metformin. Please ensure to speak to your doctor before considering any alternative medicine or natural alternative to your medicine.

Thanks for reading!

If you enjoyed reading this article, you may want to check out Metformin: Diabetes Medication Uses, Dosage & Side Effects.

Sources

• CDC: Type 2 Diabetes
• National Library of Medicine: Efficacy of Berberine in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes
• National Library of Medicine: Cinnamon use in type 2 diabetes: an updated and systemic review and meta-analysis
• National Library of Medicine: Vinegar Consumption Increases Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Uptake by the Forearm Muscle in Humans with Type 2 Diabetes
• National Library of Medicine: Lotus leaf alleviates hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia in animal model of diabetes mellitus
• Wikipedia: Galega officinalis
• Wikipedia: Turmeric