Giloy has long been used in traditional medicine and is often promoted as a natural remedy for diabetes. Many people drink giloy juice hoping it will lower their blood sugar levels or even reverse the condition. But can this popular herb really do that?
In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Gagandeep Singh, MBBS, Founder, Redial Clinic, New Delhi, and Specialist in Metabolic Medicine and Diabetes Reversal, explained what the science says about giloy and why it should never replace evidence-based diabetes management. (Also read: India gets its first dengue vaccine: Doctors explain who can take it, how it works and whether it’s right for you )
Can giloy reverse diabetes?
According to Dr Singh, he frequently meets patients who place immense faith in giloy after hearing anecdotal success stories. “Almost every week, someone sets a bottle of giloy juice on my desk. A patient with a fasting sugar of 160 will tell me, with real hope, that their neighbour’s uncle brought his numbers down with giloy and a spoon of honey each morning. I understand the hope. I only wish I could tell them it were true,” he says.
While giloy, or Tinospora cordifolia, has a long-standing place in traditional medicine, Dr Singh says the scientific evidence supporting its role in diabetes management remains limited.
“Giloy, or Tinospora cordifolia, has a long place in our kitchens and our faith, and I won’t pretend the research is empty. A handful of small trials and animal studies suggest it may nudge fasting glucose slightly and carry some anti-inflammatory effect. But ‘nudge’ is the honest word. These are short studies, modest in size, measuring a few points of movement. Not one of them shows what my patients actually want, which is a diabetic becoming non-diabetic and staying that way.”
Why giloy cannot reverse diabetes
Dr Singh explains that the underlying problem in Type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance, not a lack of giloy or any other herb.
“Here is what giloy cannot do. It cannot touch the reason the sugar is high in the first place. Type 2 diabetes is not a giloy deficiency. It is insulin resistance, built over years as refined carbohydrate and sugar overwhelm the body’s ability to clear glucose. A herb sipped over breakfast does nothing to that engine while the toast and the sweetened chai keep it running. No spoonful undoes what the rest of the plate keeps doing.”
What actually works?
Instead of looking for a single miracle food or herb, Dr Singh says the focus should be on addressing insulin resistance through sustainable lifestyle changes.
“What does work is unglamorous. Cutting the refined carbohydrate that drives the resistance. Enough protein and resistance training to build muscle, which pulls glucose out of the blood like a sponge. An overnight fast that lets insulin come down. I have watched patients reverse their diabetes on exactly that, and come off their medication under supervision, something no herb has ever delivered in my clinic.”
While giloy may be consumed as part of one’s routine, Dr Singh cautions against viewing it as a substitute for medically guided treatment and lifestyle modification. “So drink giloy if it comforts you. Just don’t let it stand in for the change that actually reverses the disease.”
Dr. Gagandeep Singh is a metabolic health specialist and founder of Redial Clinic, known for helping patients reduce medications and reverse chronic lifestyle diseases like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, fatty liver and high cholesterol through a scientific, root-cause-based approach.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
