Herbal Medicines in Diabetes Management: A Review

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic metabolic disorders affecting millions of people worldwide. The disease is mainly characterized by persistent hyperglycemia caused by impaired insulin secretion, insulin resistance, or both. Long-term uncontrolled diabetes can lead to severe complications involving the heart, kidneys, nerves, blood vessels, and eyes. Although several synthetic antidiabetic drugs are available, prolonged use may sometimes produce adverse effects, high treatment costs, and reduced patient compliance. Because of these limitations, interest in herbal medicines has increased considerably in recent years. Medicinal plants have been used traditionally for centuries in the management of diabetes. Many herbal drugs possess hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and insulin-sensitizing properties. Plants such as fenugreek, bitter melon, neem, cinnamon, turmeric, aloe vera, gymnema, and ginseng have demonstrated promising antidiabetic activity in experimental and clinical studies. Herbal medicines may help regulate blood glucose levels, improve insulin sensitivity, reduce oxidative stress, and prevent diabetic complications. The present review discusses the pathophysiology of diabetes mellitus, limitations of conventional therapy, mechanisms of action of herbal medicines, commonly used medicinal plants, recent advances in phytotherapy, safety concerns, and future perspectives in herbal diabetes management. The review is written in a simplified and academically humanized manner suitable for pharmaceutical and healthcare research.1