Supplement
Burning bush (Euonymus alatus) is a shrub whose twigs and extracts are used in traditional herbal medicine, and it contains flavonoids such as quercetin that act as plant antioxidants. People mostly look at it for blood sugar, and lab work found its extracts blocked an enzyme that helps digest carbohydrates, while in diabetic rats the extract lowered blood glucose after a starch meal. The evidence is very limited: the effect was not especially strong compared with established options, and no human studies back it up.
Sources: PMID 20717872; PMID 22407324
- Updated
- How we grade
- 4 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade D
- Conditions studied
- 1
- Outcomes
- 3
- Graded outcomes
- 0003
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
General
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Glucose Regulation In vitro studies show Euonymus alatus extracts inhibit α-glucosidase, an enzyme involved in carbohydrate digestion. In diabetic rat models, the extract reduced postprandial blood glucose after starch loading, though the effect was not remarkably potent compared to established alternatives. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured blood glucose regulation
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| Inflammation In cell culture models, Euonymus alatus extracts showed inhibition of inflammatory mediators. The anti-inflammatory mechanism is attributed to quercetin and other common flavonoids present in the plant, with no human data available. | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured inflammation
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| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antioxidant Status In cell-free assays, quercetin and other flavonoids isolated from Euonymus alatus demonstrate antioxidant activity. These are standard flavonoid effects not unique to this plant, as the same bioactives are found in many common dietary sources. | Improves (the measure goes up) | Small effect | 4 studies | |||
Studies that measured antioxidant status
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Key findings
- Blood Glucose RegulationImproves (the measure goes down)
- Antioxidant StatusImproves (the measure goes up)
- InflammationImproves (the measure goes down)
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- Grade D
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Studies cited
4 studies from PubMed
- Chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of genus Euonymus
- Chemical constituents of Euonymus alatus and their α-glucosidase inhibitory activity
- Antidiabetic activity of Euonymus alatus in vitro and in vivo
- Chemical components of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb. and their effects on the cell cycle