Scientists found that chemicals from gardenia fruit extract used in Chinese medicine for centuries can actually treat diabetes effectively.
The extract has been used in traditional Chinese Medicine to relieve the symptoms of Type 2 diabetes.
Tests on mice showed the extract blocked UCP2's action, and that a chemical called genipin was the active compound.
When genipin was added to pancreatic tissue in the lab, it also reversed faults linked to obesity and high glucose levels in insulin-producing cells.
Collectively, Chinese herbalists shrugged and said, we knew all along. Collectively, big pharmas shrugged and said, there's no profit in herbs - medicine must be chemical/biologics-based & be patent-able.