Can honeysuckle lower blood sugar levels?
Disease description:
Recently, my blood sugar has been slightly high. May I ask if I can use honeysuckle to lower my blood sugar?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Yang Ziqi
Honeysuckle is a traditional Chinese medicine that primarily functions to clear heat and toxins and to dispel wind-heat. It is commonly used to treat conditions such as colds, sore throat, boils, and skin abscesses. However, there is currently insufficient scientific evidence to confirm whether honeysuckle can directly lower blood sugar levels.
Honeysuckle does have a certain blood sugar-lowering effect. This is mainly due to its rich content of chlorogenic acid, a compound that can repair damaged pancreatic beta cells, improve insulin resistance, and enhance receptor sensitivity to insulin, thereby helping to reduce blood glucose levels.
Nevertheless, honeysuckle cannot replace conventional anti-diabetic medications. Patients with high blood sugar or diabetes should still strictly follow medical advice, take prescribed medications on time, and regularly monitor their blood glucose levels.
If considering the use of honeysuckle or other traditional Chinese medicines as an adjunctive treatment, it should be done under the guidance of a qualified physician to avoid potential risks associated with self-medication.
