What is Mulberry?
Mulberry (Latin name: Morus alba for white mulberry, Morus nigra for black mulberry) is a plant known for its medicinal properties. Its fruit, leaves, bark, and roots are used in both traditional and modern medicine due to their rich nutritional and bioactive compounds. Below are the key health benefits associated with mulberry:
Rich in Nutrients: Mulberries are a great source of vitamins (C, K, E), minerals (iron, potassium), dietary fiber, and plant-based compounds like anthocyanins, resveratrol, and flavonoids.
Antioxidant Properties: Mulberries contain powerful antioxidants such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, and resveratrol, which help protect the body from oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and lower the risk of chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.
Blood Sugar Regulation: Mulberry leaf is known for its ability to lower blood sugar levels. It contains a compound called 1-deoxynojirimycin (DNJ), which inhibits enzymes that break down carbohydrates in the gut, reducing glucose spikes after meals.
Cholesterol Reduction: Research has shown that mulberry may help lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increase HDL ("good") cholesterol, which improves overall heart health.
Anti-Inflammatory Effects: Mulberries have anti-inflammatory properties due to the presence of resveratrol and other phytochemicals, which can help reduce inflammation in chronic conditions such as arthritis and cardiovascular diseases.
Anti-Aging and Skin Health: The antioxidant properties of mulberries protect skin cells from damage, which may slow down signs of aging. Additionally, mulberry extracts are used in skincare products for their ability to even skin tone and reduce dark spots.
Immune System Support: Mulberries are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids, which help boost the immune system by increasing white blood cell activity and fighting infections.
Weight Management: The fiber in mulberries aids in digestion and helps keep you full for longer, contributing to better weight management.
Neuroprotective Properties: Some studies suggest that mulberries may support brain health by improving memory and protecting neurons from damage, which could reduce the risk of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Mulberry Botanical Properties
Primary Bioactive Compounds in Mulberry
Anthocyanins: These pigments are responsible for the deep red, purple, or black color of mulberries and are potent antioxidants.Flavonoids: Including rutin and quercetin, which are known for their anti-inflammatory and cardioprotective properties.
Resveratrol: A compound known for its potential benefits in preventing heart disease and extending lifespan.
1-Deoxynojirimycin (DNJ): Found primarily in mulberry leaves, this compound has been shown to help regulate blood sugar.
Polyphenols: These compounds have antioxidant effects and may protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Traditional Medicine Uses
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM):
- Mulberry (Sang ye) is used to treat fever, sore throats, coughs, dizziness, and to cool the liver.
- It is also used as a blood tonic for symptoms like anemia.
Ayurveda:
- Mulberry is used to balance the Pitta dosha and is valued for its cooling properties. It is used to improve blood circulation and treat digestive issues, particularly constipation.
Unani Medicine:
- Mulberry is used as an astringent and a tonic. Its leaves, bark, and fruit are used for treating diabetes, and it is believed to strengthen the liver and heart.
European Herbal Medicine:
- In Europe, mulberry leaves and fruits have been used for their laxative, anti-inflammatory, and fever-reducing properties.
Clinical research on Mulberry
A number of research studies highlight mulberry’s potential in addressing issues like diabetes, cholesterol, cognitive decline, and heart health.
Mulberry lowers cholesterol
Researchers from Thailand’s Chulalongkorn University tested 24 patients for three months. All of the patients had higher-than-normal levels of cholesterol and triglycerides and higher-than-normal levels of low-density lipoprotein – a cholesterol vehicle known to have negative health consequences.
One of these consequences is higher levels of inflammation. Because LDL-c is prone to oxidation, inflammation within the blood vessels often occurs with high LDL-c levels.
The patients all had LDL levels above 140 mg/dL and below 190 mg/dL. The researchers collected and analyzed blood samples prior to the study, and stored samples for comparison later. The patients were also tested for triglycerides, CRP levels, liver enzymes, and glutathione levels.
None of the patients were on any other medications during the study period, with the exception of one patient who took a birth control pill once, and then discontinued it. None of the patients were diagnosed with any other medical condition.
The patients were given 280 milligrams of Mulberry leaf (Morus alba L., Moraceae) three times per day – after each meal – for the entire three-month period. Every thirty days the patients were tested again.
After the 12 weeks, all of the patients had lower serum triglycerides and LDL-c levels. The average drop in triglycerides was 10.6% and LDL-c levels dropped by an average of 8.2% from levels at the beginning of the study. HDL-c levels also increased among the group – an average of 6.3% across the board.
In addition, 16 of the 24 patients had lower levels of CRP than at the beginning of the study, and these levels went down each month. Those with higher CRP levels at the beginning of the study were among those whose levels were reduced, and those whose levels were not reduced were among those with normal levels.
And among the five patients with CRP levels well above the normal zone – above 3 mg/dL – their CRP levels at the end of the study had been reduced to the normal range.
High CRP levels are linked with significant risk of a serious heart attack or other coronary event.
The researchers also tested mulberry leaf for its antioxidant abilities. They found it to be significantly antioxidant. They found it to have significant free-radical scavenger abilities.
The three months of mulberry leaf consumption also increased levels of the patients’ Glutathione peroxidase activity. This illustrates mulberry leaf’s ability to not only stimulate be antioxidant in itself, but to stimulate the liver’s production of glutathione.
The researchers concluded:
“Extraction of mulberry leaf powder by hot water exhibited strong antioxidative activity. This research also reveals the tendency of mulberry leaf powder in reducing serum LDL and triglyceride as well as blood vessel inflammation stemmed from dyslipidemia, by the measurement of decreased CRP levels. Moreover, mulberry leaf powder can increase the erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity and decrease 8-isoprostane in serum. No severe adverse reaction was found and minor side effects can be relieved by taking mulberry leaf tablets immediately after meals.”
This is not the first study to show that mulberry leaf significantly decreases triglyceride levels. Another study from Chulalongkorn University studied 23 high-cholesterol patients for 12 weeks. This study also gave 280 milligrams of mulberry leaf three times per day. In this study, the average drop in triglycerides was over 14%.
Mulberry leaf and its relatives (Morus spp.) have been used traditionally in many traditional medicines, but notably in Asian traditional medicine, including Thai medicine, Japanese (Kampo), Ayurveda and Chinese medicine.
Mulberry stem helps correct blood sugar
In a 2017 study from the UK’s University of Southampton, researchers tested 37 patients with glucose control problems. They tested single doses of mulberry extract together with maltodextrin to test mulberry’s ability to help control blood glucose levels.
On three test periods, the researchers found the mulberry helped control glucose levels by between 22 and 24 percent using double doses. The researchers concluded:
“Mulberry leaf extract significantly reduces total blood glucose rise after ingestion of maltodextrin over 120 minutes. The pattern of effect demonstrates a classical dose response curve with significant effects over placebo. Importantly, total insulin rises were also significantly suppressed over the same time-period.”
In a 2016 clinical study, researchers tested 38 type-2 diabetes patients. They split the patients into two groups. For six months, one group was given an extract from mulberry stems. The other group was treated with the diabetes drug acarbose.
Acarbose is a drug that has been shown to reduce and help control blood sugar in diabetes patients. The drug also comes with side effects that can include allergic reactions, swelling of the face, throat or mouth, severe itching, stomach pain, severe constipation or watery, diarrhea stools. The drug can also produce bleeding in other parts of the body.
After the treatment period, the doctors found that glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels improved significantly in both groups. They also found that blood sugar levels one-hour and two-hours after eating were significantly reduced. And fasting blood sugar levels were also improved.
This is called glycemic control – when blood sugar levels don’t spike so much. The blood sugar is in better control.
Yes, the mulberry stem extract significantly improved blood sugar levels, but the acarbose drug had similar effects.
However, the difference is the mulberry group did not have any adverse side effects, while a full third of the acarbose group complained of adverse gastrointestinal effects.
The researchers concluded:
“Compared with acarbose, SZ-A [mulberry stem extract] tablet was effective and safe in glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes.”
Mulberry leaf also reduces blood sugar
This ability of mulberry to reduce carbohydrate breakdown was determined in a 2011 double-blind placebo-controlled study from Japan’s Nippon Medical School. The researchers tested mulberry leaf extract with 76 pre-diabetes patients with blood sugar control problems.
The researchers tested adult volunteers by giving them either a placebo or mulberry leaf extract for 12 weeks. The research found the mulberry leaf extract significantly improved postprandial (post-meal) glycemic control among the patients.
Mulberry helps drop the pounds
Research from Italy’s F. De Ritis Institute and the Catholic University of Sacred Heart has determined that a traditional herb used for thousands of years can significantly help stimulate weight loss among obese or overweight people.
The researchers tested 46 overweight people for 90 days. They divided the subjects into two groups. Both groups were given an identical “balanced” diet plan that consisted of 1300 calories per day.
In addition to the diet, one group was given 2.4 grams of white Japanese mulberry extract per day, while the other group was given a placebo. Both groups were followed and tested every 30 days for weight, along with waist and thigh circumference measurements.
The researchers found that the group given the mulberry extract lost an average of nine kilograms (almost 20 pounds) in the three-month period. Meanwhile, the placebo group lost about a third of that weight – about 3.2 kilograms – during the period.
The average weight loss among the mulberry group equated to about 10% of their total body weight over the three months.
The researchers also found the mulberry group had significantly reduced waist and thigh circumference among the mulberry group.
The extract was a meristematic extract. This means that the apical meristem was used – which is located in the buds, shoots and young leaves of the plant.
A plant-based low-carb diet helps drop pounds according to other research.
How does Mulberry work?
Other research has found that mulberry leaf inhibits amylase and alpha-glucosidase enzymes, which break down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. Thus, it basically reduces the assimilation of glucose sugars by preventing the breakdown of polysaccharides into simple sugars. This, in turn, reduces blood glucose levels.
This effect was confirmed by the researchers, as they found the mulberry group’s blood glucose and insulin consumption curves were significantly lower at the end of the study compared to the beginning of the study. The researchers stated:
“Long‐term ingestion of mulberry leaf extract with enriched DNJ content could result in improved postprandial glycemic control in individuals with impaired glucose metabolism.”
A Silky Tradition
Asian silkworm producers have fed their silkworms with mulberry leaf for thousands of years. But this hasn’t been the only use for the mulberry tree. Traditional Chinese medicine has utilized mulberry leaf to reduce respiratory issues, inflammation, blood sugar issues, and constipation for centuries.
REFERENCES:
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Mengyi Li, Xuemin Huang, Hui Ye, et al. Randomized, Double-Blinded, Double-Dummy, Active-Controlled, and Multiple-Dose Clinical Study Comparing the Efficacy and Safety of Mulberry Twig (Ramulus Mori, Sangzhi) Alkaloid Tablet and Acarbose in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2016, Article ID 7121356, 10 pages, 2016. doi:10.1155/2016/7121356
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