Researchers in Korea find herbal extract that blocks obesity-linked diabetes

A freshly harvested tuber of Gastrodia elata, a plant known locally as "cheonma." A collaborative study by the National Institute of Forest Science and Chung-Ang University revealed that saligenin, a natural compound derived from the plant's roots, helps cells process insulin normally again and boosts hormones that keep blood sugar in check. Courtesy of National Institute of Forest Science

Korean researchers have discovered that a natural compound found in a traditional medicinal herb can reverse a key cause of type 2 diabetes brought on by weight gain, opening up a promising new avenue for preventative medicine.

In a joint study published in the science journal Tissue & Cell, researchers from the National Institute of Forest Science and Chung-Ang University showed that a natural ingredient derived from the plant Gastrodia elata — commonly known in Korean as "cheonma" — can help balance hormone levels in obese individuals at risk of diabetes.

Gaining excess weight often leads to insulin resistance, a dangerous health condition where the body's cells begin to ignore insulin. When cells refuse to cooperate with this hormone, sugar builds up in the bloodstream instead of being converted into energy, causing blood sugar levels to spike, eventually leading to type 2 diabetes.

By studying cells overwhelmed by excess fat, the research team mapped out exactly how damage occurs. They found that heavy fat deposits directly damage the gut, effectively shutting down a critical hormone called GLP-1. This hormone acts as the body's natural thermostat for blood sugar, triggering insulin production and lowering glucose levels after eating.

When researchers treated these damaged cells with the herbal compound, called saligenin, it jump-started the cells' internal self-cleaning process, allowing them to clear out built-up cellular waste and successfully start producing the blood-sugar-controlling hormone again.

In a world-first discovery, the team took the fluids secreted by these healed gut cells and applied them directly to muscle cells. The muscle cells immediately began processing insulin normally again and showed a major boost in their ability to absorb sugar from the blood.

While the breakthrough is a major step forward in proving health benefits, the researchers noted that the experiment was done entirely on cells in a laboratory. More research is needed to see if the treatment works the same way inside the human body.

"This study is significant because it shows exactly how natural forest resources can help fight metabolic diseases like diabetes that threaten public health," said Lee Kyung-tae, the lead researcher at the National Institute of Forest Science. "We plan to move to animal testing next, with the goal of turning this into functional health foods or medicine that companies can quickly bring to the public."

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.