Clinical Research

Over the last several years, there have been countless clinical trials on the effects of Mulberry Leaf conducted all over the world. Despite a lack of awareness, Mulberry Leaf has quickly gained support from doctors and medical researchers for producing significantly positive results in the human body. Research in India has shown the Mulberry Leaf to be more effective against diabetes than some of the top-selling pharmaceutical drugs.

Clinical Trials on Mulberry Leaf Benefits
Major clinical trials conducted by a team of researchers and doctors at the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis VA Hospital), demonstrate that Mulberry Leaf can help stabilize the blood sugar levels and inhibit carbohydrate absorption in Type II diabetics by providing additional support which enables them to make better dietary and lifestyle choices. These results were published in medical publications, such as The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and in Diabetes Care.

“What is so exciting and promising about our research is that it shows the mulberry leaf, a simple natural ingredient derived from a tree, can nutritionally help improve the blood sugar levels in Type II diabetics who struggle every day to follow a balanced diet and maintain a healthy weight, which is essential for managing Type II diabetes. Maintaining normal blood sugar levels through nutritional support is vital for those who are trying to manage their blood sugar levels primarily through diet and exercise.”— Medical Researcher and Scientist Tohoku University, Nippon Medical School.

Ingesting carbohydrates leads to blood sugar elevation and the intake of calories. The key enzyme at the end of the carbohydrate digesting process is alpha-glucosidase, whose task is to release glucose from the more complicated carbohydrates. The mulberry leaf is an alpha-glucosidase inhibitor which works by reducing the efficiency of this carbohydrate breakdown, thus significantly delaying carbohydrate absorption. The majority of the unabsorbed carbohydrates quickly passes thorough the intestine and is eventually excreted from the body. In one clinical trial, mulberry leaf was shown to inhibit carbohydrate absorption by 21%, resulting in less elevation of post-meal blood sugar levels and lower calorie intake.   Health Disclaimer>>

• • Suppress Blood Sugar Without Drugs: Life Extension Magazine
  • Mulberry Leaf Improves Glucose Tolerance
  • Effects of Mulberry Leaf on Blood Lipid
  • Influence of Mulberry Leaf Extract on the Blood Glucose  American Diabetes Association
  • Food-grade mulberry powder enriched with 1-deoxynojirimycin suppresses the elevation of postprandial blood glucose in humans
  • Development of Mulberry Leaf Product with α-Glucosidase Inhibitor for the Prevention of Type2 Diabetes Mellitus
  • Development of glucose level rise control mulberry leaf product using 1-deoxynojirimycin 
  • Impact of Mulberry Leaf on Type 2 diabetes – University of Mississippi
  • Mulberry (Morus Alba L.) Leaves – Journal of Nutrition
  • Mulberry Extract may prevent diabetes – study
  • Mulberry Leaf Extract Inhibits the Oxidative Modification and Low Density Lipoprotein
  • Mulberry Leaf Extract Promotes Weight Control
  • Effect of mulberry leaf extract with enriched 1-deoxynojirimycin content on postprandial glycemic control in subjects with impaired glucose metabolism
• Scientific Research / Super Foods – Mulberry Benefits and Medical Effect
• Cancer’s Sweet Tooth
• Comprehensive Research on Effects of Substance Abuse and Diabetes

The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published findings that mulberry leaf extract may help prevent some forms of diabetes by suppressing insulin production when taken regularly and in conjunction with other healthful practices

Fratkin J, Fischer W, Wu Y. Practical Therapeutics of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Brookline, MA: Paradigm Publications, 1997.

Hirayama C, Sugimura M, Saito H, et al. Purification and properties of urease from the leaf of mulberry, morus alba. Phytochemistry February;53(3):325-30.

Murata K, Yatsunami K, Fukuda E, et al. Antihyperglycemic effects of propolis mixed with mulberry leaf extract on patients with type 2 diabetes. Altern Ther Health Med May-June 2004;10(3):78-9.

Ratanapo S, Ngamjunyaporn W, Chulavatnatol M. Interaction of a mulberry leaf lectin with a phytopathogenic bacterium, P. syringae pv mori. Plant Sci March 2001;160(4):739-744.

Srivastava S, Kapoor R, Thathola A, et al. Mulberry (morus alba) leaves as human food: a new dimension of sericulture. Int J Food Sci Nutr November 2003;54(6):411-6.

Additional Research Studies:

Mulberry Leaf as Human Food
Srivastava S, Kapoor R, Thathola A, Sriyastaya RP. Mulberry (Morus alba) leaves as human food: a new dimension of sericulture. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2003 Nov;54(4):411–6.

Mulberry Leaves as Antioxidants and Neuroprotective Agents

• Niidome T, Takahashi K, Goto Y, Goh S, Tanaka N, Kamei K, et al. Mulberry leaf extract prevents amyloid beta-peptide fibril formation and neurotoxicity. Neuroreport. 2007 May 28;18(8):813–6.
• Kang TH, Oh HR, Jung SM, Ryu JH, Park MW, Park YK, Kim SY. Enhancement of neuroprotection of mulberry leaves (Morus alba L.) prepared by the anaerobic treatment against ischemic damage. Biol Pharm Bull. 2006 Feb;29(2):270–4.
• Tewari RK, Kumar P, Sharma PN. Antioxidant responses to enhanced generation of superoxide anion radical and hydrogen peroxide in the copper-stressed mulberry plants. Planta 2006 May;223(6):1145–53. Epub 2005 Nov 15.
• Choi EM, Hwang JK. Effects of Morus alba leaf extract on the production of nitric oxide, prostaglandin E2 and cytokines in RAW264.7 macrophages. Fitoterapia. 2005 Dec;76(7-8):608–13. Epub 2005 Oct 17.
• Sharma R, Sharma A, Shono T, Takasugi M, Shirata A, Fujimora T, Machii H. Mulberry moracins: scavengers of UV stress-generated free radicals. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2001 Jun;65(6):1402–5.

Mulberry Leaf in Lowering Lipidemia and Improving Blood Vessel Health

• Chen J, Li X. Hypolipidemic effect of flavonoids from mulberry leaves in triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipidemic mice.Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2007;16 Suppl 1:290–4.
• Harauma A, Murayama T, Ikeyama K, Sano H, Arai H, Takano R, et al. Mulberry leaf powder prevents atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice. Biochem Biophys
• Res Commun. 2007 Jul 6;358(3):751–6. Epub 2007 May 7.
• Enkhmaa B, Shiwaku K, Katsube T, Kitajima K, Anuurad E, Yamasaki M, Yamane Y.Mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves and their major flavonol quercetin 3-(6-malonylglucoside) attenuate atherosclerotic lesion development in LDL receptor-deficient mice. J Nutr. 2005 Apr;135(4):729–34.
• Doi K, Kojima T. and Fujimoto Y. Mulberry leaf extract inhibits the oxidative modification of rabbit and human low density lipoprotein. Bio Pharm Bull. 2000 Sep;23(9):1066–71.

Mulberry Leaf and Blood Sugar Management

• Kimura T, Nakagawa K, Kubota H, Kojima Y, Goto Y, Yamagishi K, et al. Food-grade mulberry powder enriched with 1-deoxynojirimycin suppresses the elevation of postprandial blood glucose in humans. J Agric Food Chem. 2007 Jul 11;55(14):5869–74. Epub 2007 Jun 8.
• Mudra M, Ercan-Fang N, Zhong L, Furne J, Levitt M. Influence of mulberry leaf extract on the blood glucose and breath hydrogen response to ingestion of 75 g sucrose by type 2 diabetic and control subjects. Diabetes Care. 2007 May;30(5):1272–4. Epub 2007 Feb 15.
• Hansawasdi C, Kawabata J. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effect of mulberry (Morus alba) leaves on Caco-2. Fitoterapia. 2006 Dec;77(7-8):568–73. Epub 2006 Sep 22.
• Oku T, Yamada M, Nakamura M, Sadamori N, Nakamura S. Inhibitory effects of extractives from leaves of Morus alba on human and rat small intestinal disaccharidase activity. Br J Nutr. 2006 May;95(5):933–8.
• Hu ML, Wang RJ. Antioxidant role of mulberry leaves in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Clin Chim Acta. 2004 Oct;348(1-2):215; author reply 217-8. [No abstract available.]
• Miyahara C, Miyazawa M, Satoh S, Sakai A, Mizusaki S. Inhibitory effects of mulberry leaf extract on postprandial hyperglycemia in normal rats. J Nutr Sci
• Vitaminol (Tokyo). 2004 Jun;50(3):161–4.
• Murata K, Yatsunami K, Fukuda E, Onodera S, Mizukami O, Hoashino G, Kamei T. Antihyperglycemic effects of propolis mixed with mulberry leaf extract on patients with type 2 diabetes. Altern Ther Health Med. 2004;10:78–9.
• Sakuramata Y, Oe H, Husano S, Aki O. Effects of combination of Caiapo with other plant-derived substance on anti-diabetic efficacy in KK-Ay mice. Biofactors. 2004; 22:149–52.
• Andallu B, Suryakantham V, Lakshmi SB, Reddy GK. Effect of mulberry (Morus indica L.) therapy on plasma and erythrocyte membrane lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes. Clin Chim Acta. 2001; 314: 47–53.
• Asano N, Yamashita T, Yasuda K, Ikeda K, Kizu H, Kameda Y, et al. Polyhydroxylated alkaloids isolated from mulberry trees (Morusalba L.) and silkworms (Bombyx mori L.). J. Agric Food Chem. 2001; 49:4208–13.
• Taniguchi S, Asano N, Tomino F, Miwa I. Potentiation of glucose-induced insulin secretion by fagomine, a pseudo-sugar isolated from mulberry leaves. Horm Metab Res 1998; 30:679–83.
• Asano N., Oseki K, Tomioka E, Kizu H, Matsui K. N-containing sugars from Morus alba and their glycosidase inhibitory activities. Carbohydr Res. 1994; 259:243–55.
• Andallu B, Varadacharyulu NC. Gluconeogenic substrates and hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes in streptozotocin-diabetic rats: effect of mulberry (Morus indica L.) leaves.J Med Food. 2007 Mar;10(1):41–8.
• Andallu B, Varadacharyulu NCh. Antioxidant role of mulberry (Morus indica L. cv. Anantha) leaves in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Clin Chim Acta. 2003 Dec; 338(1-2):3–10.
• Andallu R, Varadacharyulu NCh. Control of hyperglycemia and retardation of cataract by mulberry (morus indica L.) leaves in streptozotocin diabetic rats. Indian J. Exp Biol. 2002; 40:791–5.
• The Australian Diabetes, Obesity & Lifestyle Study May, 2002 – Epidemiology / Health Services/ Psychosocial Research: The Rissing Prevelance of Diabetes & Impaired Glucose Tolerance.

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