A review on the hypoglycemic effect of the leaf tea of Averrhoa carambola

ABSTRACT

Diabetes Mellitus is a disorder characterized by an abnormality in the metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins, considerably increasing blood glucose levels. The classification of DM is made according to etiological factors, being the most well-known type 1 DM, of autoimmune origin, and type 2 DM, a complex multifactorial disorder, caused by the combination of several factors and characterized by the peripheral resistance to insulin. Many species of plants have been used ethnopharmacologically or experimentally to treat the symptoms of diabetes mellitus, among them the leaves of averrhoa carambola. Averrhoa carambola, a plant species popularly known as carambola, is probably native to Sri Lanka, although it has been cultivated for centuries in Southwest Asia and Malaysia, being introduced in Brazil in 1817, and its leaves used for producing teas, indicated in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. Diabetes is a global health emergency in the 21st century, since each year more people live with this condition, which can lead to complications and irreversible damage throughout life. So, this work has as its purpose to review the literature on the hypoglycemic effect of teas produced from leaves of averrhoa carambola.