SALACIA: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews

Overview

Salacia is an herb that is native to India and Sri Lanka. The root and stem are used to make medicine.

Salacia is used for diabetes, asthma, joint pain, weight loss, and other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

Mugs made from salacia wood are used by people with diabetes to drink water.

How does it work ?

Chemicals in salacia seem to prevent sugars in food from being absorbed by the body.

Uses & Effectiveness ?

Possibly Effective for

Diabetes. Early research shows that drinking salacia tea with each meal might lower glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Other early research shows that taking salacia with food for 6 weeks might reduce blood sugar and HbA1C levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Insufficient Evidence for

Itching skin.
Gonorrhea.
Joint problems.
Asthma.
Losing weight.
Other conditions.

More evidence is needed to rate the effectiveness of salacia for these uses.

Side Effects

Special Precautions and Warnings

When taken by mouth: Salacia is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken for up to 6 weeks. There isn't enough reliable information to know if salacia is safe when used for longer periods of time. Salacia can cause uncomfortable side effects such as gas, belching, pain in the abdomen, nausea, and diarrhea in some people. Pregnancy and breast-feeding: There isn't enough reliable information to know if salacia is safe to use when pregnant or breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Diabetes: Salacia can decrease blood sugar levels. Your diabetes medications might need to be adjusted by your healthcare provider.

Surgery: Salacia might lower blood sugar levels. There is some concern that it might interfere with blood sugar control during and after surgery. Stop using salacia at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

Interactions ?

Moderate Interaction

Be cautious with this combination

Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs) interacts with SALACIA
Salacia might decrease blood sugar. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking salacia along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.

Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), chlorpropamide (Diabinese), glipizide (Glucotrol), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.

Dosing

The appropriate dose of salacia depends on several factors such as the user's age, health, and several other conditions. At this time there is not enough scientific information to determine an appropriate range of doses for salacia. Keep in mind that natural products are not always necessarily safe and dosages can be important. Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

View References

REFERENCES:

Giron, M. D., Sevillano, N., Salto, R., Haidour, A., Manzano, M., Jimenez, M. L., Rueda, R., and Lopez-Pedrosa, J. M. View abstract.

Mohan, S. and Pinto, B. M. Zwitterionic glycosidase inhibitors: salacinol and related analogues. Carbohydr.Res. 9-3-2007;342(12-13):1551-1580. View abstract.

Muraoka, O., Morikawa, T., Miyake, S., Akaki, J., Ninomiya, K., and Yoshikawa, M. Quantitative determination of potent alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, salacinol and kotalanol, in View abstract.

Shimada, T., Nagai, E., Harasawa, Y., Akase, T., Aburada, T., Iizuka, S., Miyamoto, K., and Aburada, M. Metabolic disease prevention and suppression of fat accumulation by View abstract.

Collene AL, Hertzler SR, Williams JA, Wolf BW. Effects of a nutritional supplement containing Salacia oblonga extract and insulinogenic amino acids on postprandial glycemia, insulinemia, and breath hydrogen responses in healthy adults. Nutrition 2005;21:848-54. View abstract.

Flammang AM, Erexson GL, Mecchi MS, et al. Genotoxicity testing of a Salacia oblonga extract. Food Chem Toxicol. 2006 Nov;44(11):1868-74. View abstract.

Flammang AM, Erexson GL, Mirwald JM, et al. Toxicological and cytogenetic assessment of a Salacia oblonga extract in a rat subchronic study. Food Chem Toxicol. 2007 Oct;45(10):1954-62. View abstract.

Heacock PM, Hertzler SR, Williams JA, Wolf BW. Effects of a medical food containing an herbal alpha-glucosidase inhibitor on postprandial glycemia and insulinemia in healthy adults. J Am Diet Assoc 2005;105:65-71. View abstract.

Huang TH, Yang Q, Harada M, et al. Salacia oblonga root improves cardiac lipid metabolism in Zucker diabetic fatty rats: Modulation of cardiac PPAR-alpha-mediated transcription of fatty acid metabolic genes. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2006;210:78-85. View abstract.

Im R, Mano H, Matsuura T, et al. Mechanisms of blood glucose-lowering effect of aqueous extract from stems of Kothala himbutu (Salacia reticulata) in the mouse. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009 Jan 21;121(2):234-40. View abstract.

Im R, Mano H, Nakatani S, et al. Safety evaluation of the aqueous extract Kothala himbutu (Salacia reticulata) stem in the hepatic gene expression profile of normal mice using DNA microarrays. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2008 Dec;72(12):3075-83. View abstract.

Ismail TS, Gopalakrishnan S, Begum VH, Elango V. Anti-inflammatory activity of Salacia oblonga Wall. and Azima tetracantha Lam. J Ethnopharmacol 1997;56:145-52. View abstract.

Jayawardena MH, de Alwis NM, Hettigoda V, Fernando DJ. A double blind randomised placebo controlled cross over study of a herbal preparation containing Salacia reticulata in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. J Ethnopharmacol 2005;97:215-8. View abstract.

Kajimoto O, Kawamori S, Shimoda H, et al. Effects of a Diet Containing Salacia reticulata on Mild Type 2 Diabetes in Humans. A Placebo-controlled, Cross-over Trial. Nippon Eiyo Shokuryo Gakkaishi 2000;53(5):199-205.

Li Y, Peng G, Li Q, et al. Salacia oblonga improves cardiac fibrosis and inhibits postprandial hyperglycemia in obese Zucker rats. Life Sci 2004;75:1735-46. View abstract.

Matsuda H, Morikawa T, Masayuki Y. Antidiabetogenic constituents from several natural medicines. Pure Appl Chem 2002;74:1301-8.

Matsuda H, Murakami T, Yashiro K, et al. Antidiabetic principles of natural medicines. IV. Aldose reductase and qlpha-glucosidase inhibitors from the roots of Salacia oblonga Wall. (Celastraceae): structure of a new friedelane-type triterpene, kotalagenin 16-acetate. Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) 1999;47:1725-9. View abstract.

Ratnasooriya WD, Jayakody JR, Premakumara GA. Adverse pregnancy outcome in rats following exposure to a Salacia reticulata (Celastraceae) root extract. Braz J Med Biol Res 2003;36:931-5. View abstract.

Rong X, Kim MS, Su N, et al. An aqueous extract of Salacia oblonga root, a herb-derived peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha activator, by oral gavage over 28 days induces gender-dependent hepatic hypertrophy in rats. Food Chem Toxicol. 2008 Jun;46(6):2165-72. View abstract.

Williams JA, Choe YS, Noss MJ, et al. Extract of Salacia oblonga lowers acute glycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;86:124-30. View abstract.

Wolf BW, Weisbrode SE. Safety evaluation of an extract from Salacia oblonga. Food Chem Toxicol 2003;41:867-74. View abstract.

Yoshikawa M, Ninomiya K, Shimoda H, et al. Hepatoprotective and antioxidative properties of Salacia reticulata: preventive effects of phenolic constituents on CCl4-induced liver injury in mice. Biol Pharm Bull 2002;25:72-6. View abstract.

Yoshikawa M, Nishida N, Shimoda H, et al. [Polyphenol constituents from Salacia species: quantitative analysis of mangiferin with alpha-glucosidase and aldose reductase inhibitory activities]. Yakugaku Zasshi 2001;121:371-8. View abstract.

Yoshikawa M, Shimoda H, Nishida N, et al. Salacia reticulata and its polyphenolic constituents with lipase inhibitory and lipolytic activities have mild antiobesity effects in rats. J Nutr 2002;132:1819-24. View abstract.

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CONDITIONS OF USE AND IMPORTANT INFORMATION: This information is meant to supplement, not replace advice from your doctor or healthcare provider and is not meant to cover all possible uses, precautions, interactions or adverse effects. This information may not fit your specific health circumstances. Never delay or disregard seeking professional medical advice from your doctor or other qualified health care provider because of something you have read on WebMD. You should always speak with your doctor or health care professional before you start, stop, or change any prescribed part of your health care plan or treatment and to determine what course of therapy is right for you.

This copyrighted material is provided by Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Consumer Version. Information from this source is evidence-based and objective, and without commercial influence. For professional medical information on natural medicines, see Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database Professional Version.
© Therapeutic Research Faculty 2020.

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