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.
