Animal Study Shows Promise for TCM Herbal Treatment of Diabetes (Yi Qi Zeng Min Tang)

Researchers from the Institute of Chinese Integrative Medicine at Fudan University in Shanghai recently conducted a study utilizing a TCM herbal formula for the treatment of Type II Diabetes.  While this particular study was done using animals (Sprague-Dawley rats) others have already been done in humans with similar formulas with similar positive results. 

Within this study researchers first created diabetes in the rats and then divided them into 5 groups - a control, a low dose, medium dose and high dose tcm treatment group and a rosiglitazone (avandia, standard western pharmaceutical treatment) group.  The rats were treated over 8 weeks with measurements taken before and after treatment measuruing glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity and other biochemical factors (TNF-α, IL-6, FFAs, etc.).

The TCM herbal formula used is Yi Qi Zeng Min Tang which has the following herbs:  Radix Astragali (Huang Qi),  mung bean seed (Lu Dou),  Perillae (Zi Su Ye) , Phellodendri (Huang Bai), Pollen Typhae (Pu Huang), Serissa foetida (Cherry Blossom), Cinnamomi (Gui Zhi), Radix Aconiti Lateralis Preparata (Fu Pian, Fu Zi), Coptis (Huang Lian) , and Rhizoma Alismatis (Ze Xie)

Clinically we often use a similar formula Jiang Tang Wan which has the following herbs:  Radix Glycyrrhizae Uralensis (Gan Cao), Fructus Schisandrae Chinensis (Wu Wei Zi), Radix Astragali Membranacei (Huang Qi), Rhizoma Coptidis Recens (Huang Lian), Sclerotium Poriae Cocos (Fu Ling), Radix Ginseng (Ren Shen), Rhizoma Polygonati (Huang Jing), Rhizoma Atractylodis Macrocephalae (Bai Zhu), Radix Puerariae Lobatae (Ge Gen), Radix Et Rhizoma Rhei (Da Huang), Radix Trichosanthis Kirilowii (Tian Hua Fen)

The study found significant decrease in insulin resistance and serum levels of fasting glucose (both good) with the high dose tcm herbal formula group showing the best numbers overall.  They concluded that this tcm herbal formula "ameliorates insulin resistance and does not cause increase in body weight, and may be a suitable therapeutic adjunct for the treatment of type 2 diabetes."

Again other studies and practical clinical evidence have shown similar results for years with this and other related formulas.