Quick Take
A viral social media post suggests that consuming banyan tree roots can reverse diabetes naturally. We fact checked and found the claim to be false.
The Claim
A Facebook post suggests that banyan tree roots can naturally lower blood sugar and reverse diabetes without the need for medicines.
Fact Check
Can banyan tree roots reverse diabetes?
No. There is currently no convincing clinical evidence showing that the roots of the banyan tree, scientifically known as Ficus benghalensis, can reverse diabetes in humans.
The claim appears to be based largely on the tree’s traditional use and on early experimental research. Although traditional knowledge may help researchers identify plants worth studying, it does not establish that a remedy is safe or effective.
To prove that banyan roots can reverse diabetes, researchers would need to conduct well-designed human clinical trials. A study was done on its barks but no research was found on its roots. These studies would have to compare the remedy with a placebo or standard treatment, establish a safe dose and monitor both benefits and adverse effects. Such evidence is currently lacking.
Have banyan tree roots shown blood-sugar-lowering effects in research?
Yes, but only in preliminary research. A study involving diabetic rats found that extracts made from the aerial roots of Ficus benghalensis produced blood-glucose-lowering effects. However, the research was conducted in animals, not in people with diabetes.
Animal studies are an early stage of medical research. They can show that a plant contains potentially active compounds, but they cannot confirm that the same preparation will work safely in humans. The metabolism, dosage and disease response of laboratory animals can differ considerably from those of people.
Research has also examined banyan bark extracts in laboratory models, including experiments involving glucose uptake in yeast cells. These findings may help researchers explore possible mechanisms, but yeast-cell experiments do not demonstrate that the remedy can control diabetes in the human body.
Dr Ubaid ur Rahman, General Physician at Holy Mission Clinic, New Delhi, explained that diabetes is a long-term metabolic condition that requires consistent management rather than a one-time cure. According to him, effective diabetes care involves a balanced diet, regular physical activity, routine blood glucose monitoring, and prescribed medications or insulin when indicated. He added that treatment should always be guided by scientific evidence, as relying on home remedies or unproven “miracle cures” may delay appropriate medical care and increase the risk of complications.
Why can animal-study results not be treated as proof?
Because an experimental extract is not the same as a home remedy. In research, plant extracts are prepared using controlled processes and administered in measured concentrations. A piece of aerial root, root powder, decoction or homemade mixture may contain a very different quantity of active substances.
The chemical composition may also vary according to the age of the tree, growing conditions, plant part, harvesting method and extraction process. This makes it difficult to determine how much a person is actually consuming.
More importantly, a substance that lowers glucose in an animal may prove ineffective, poorly absorbed or unsafe when tested in humans. Until clinical studies establish an appropriate preparation and dose, the reported antidiabetic activity should be described as experimental rather than therapeutic.
Does “reversing diabetes” mean the same thing as lowering blood sugar temporarily?
No. A temporary fall in blood glucose is not proof that diabetes has been reversed.
For type 2 diabetes, medical experts generally use the term remission, rather than cure or reversal. An international expert consensus defines remission as an HbA1c below the diagnostic threshold of 6.5% that persists for at least three months without glucose-lowering medication. Even after remission, continued medical monitoring is necessary because high blood sugar can return.
There is no evidence that banyan tree roots can produce this outcome.
Type 1 diabetes, meanwhile, is an autoimmune condition in which the body loses insulin-producing cells. Banyan root preparations cannot restore insulin production or replace insulin treatment.
Dr V Mohan, Diabetologist and Founder of Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, told THIP Media that diabetes remission should not be mistaken for a cure. He explained that remission means blood glucose levels remain within the normal range without the need for medication for a period of time, but the underlying tendency to develop diabetes still exists. He added that the condition can return if a person regains weight, adopts unhealthy eating habits, or becomes physically inactive. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is therefore essential to sustain remission over the long term.
Could consuming banyan tree roots be risky?
Yes, particularly when their dose and purity are unknown. There is limited reliable information about the long-term safety of consuming banyan root preparations. Homemade products may be incorrectly identified, contaminated or prepared in concentrations that have never been tested in humans.
There is also a possible risk of excessive blood-glucose reduction when an untested herbal preparation is combined with insulin or certain diabetes medicines. Symptoms of low blood sugar may include sweating, trembling, dizziness, confusion, hunger and, in severe cases, loss of consciousness.
The greater danger is that a person may stop or reduce prescribed treatment after believing that a natural remedy has cured the condition. Uncontrolled diabetes can quietly damage the kidneys, eyes, nerves, heart and blood vessels even when a person does not feel unwell.
What approaches can support type 2 diabetes remission?
Structured, evidence-based treatment can help some people achieve remission. Significant and sustained weight loss, particularly when type 2 diabetes has been diagnosed relatively recently, may considerably improve insulin sensitivity and blood glucose control.
The DiRECT trial and the NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission Programme have shown that intensive, professionally supervised weight-management programmes can help some participants achieve remission. The likelihood was particularly high among those who lost substantial amounts of weight.
This does not mean that everyone with type 2 diabetes must follow an extremely low-calorie diet. Such programmes require medical assessment and professional supervision, especially when a person is taking glucose-lowering or blood-pressure medication.
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