title: Effect of Chyawanprash and vitamin C on glucose tolerance and lipoprotein profile.
abstract: Chyawanprash is an ancient Indian dietary supplement containing vitamin C (34 mg/100 g) derived from amla (Emblica officinalis). In addition, Chyawanprash also contains several other herbal products. The present study was designed to compare the effects of vitamin C with those of Chyawanprash. Ten normal healthy adult male volunteers (age 20-32 years) participated in the 16-week study. They were placed randomly in either the Chyawanprash group (n = 5) or vitamin C group (n = 5). Those in the former received 15 g/d of Chyawanprash while those in the latter received 500 mg/d vitamin C during the first 8 weeks of the study. For the next 8 weeks, no supplement was given. For each individual, an oral glucose tolerance test was performed, and lipoprotein profile in peripheral serum samples was determined at 0 weeks, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, 12 weeks and 16 weeks. In the Chyawanprash group, the 8 weeks Vs 0 weeks value (mean +/- S.D.) respectively for various indices which were significantly different were fasting plasma glucose (100.2 +/- 5.58 mg/dl vs 116.2 +/- 11.6 mg/dl), area under 2-h plasma glucose curve (245.9 +/- 15.13 mg.dl-1.h vs 280.8 +/- 37.09 mg.dl-1.h), HDL cholesterol (53.2 +/- 4.56 mg/dl vs 42.7 +/- 7.17 mg/dl), LDL cholesterol (82.4 +/- 8.80 mg/dl vs 98.26 +/- 12.07 mg/dl), LDL/HDL ratio (1.56 +/- 0.28 vs 2.38 +/- 0.63). In the Vitamin C group, only the LDL/HDL ratio was significantly lower at 8 weeks than at 0 weeks (1.99 +/- 0.44 vs 2.29 +/- 0.43). All the variables that changed significantly were no longer significantly different from the 0 weeks value at 16 weeks. Chyawanprash reduces postprandial glycemia in the oral glucose tolerance test and reduces blood cholesterol level to a significantly greater extent than vitamin C.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi-110 029.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Manjunatha
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Jaryal
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Bijlani
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Sachdeva
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006801:Humans; D008074:Lipoproteins / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects*; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000097:blood / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008074:Lipoproteins; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL; D010936:Plant Extracts; D014280:Triglycerides; D001205:Ascorbic Acid