Chinese White Mulberry, Chi Sang, Chin Sang, Common Mulberry, Egyptian Mulberry, Mon Tea, Mora, Moral Blanco, Morera Blanca, Morin, Morus alba, Morus indica, Morus multicaulis, Mûrier Blanc, Mûrier Blanc de Chine, Mûrier Commun, Mûrier du Ver à Soie, Russian Mulberry, Silkworm Mulberry.
White mulberry is an herb. The powdered leaves are most commonly used for medicine. The fruit can be used for food, either raw or cooked.
White mulberry is often tried in order to help treat diabetes. It is also tried for treating high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, the common cold and its symptoms, muscle and joint pain such as from arthritis, constipation, dizziness, ringing in the ears, hair loss, and premature graying.
White mulberry is native to China and is the food of silkworms. It was introduced into the United States in colonial times, during an attempt to establish a silk industry. The wood is very flexible and durable and has been used to make tennis rackets, hockey sticks, furniture, and boats.
How does it work?
There are some chemicals in white mulberry that work in a similar way to some medicines used for type 2 diabetes. They slow the breakdown of sugars in the gut so that they are absorbed more slowly into the blood. This helps the body keep blood sugar levels in the desirable range.
SLIDESHOW
Vitamin D Deficiency: How Much Vitamin D Is Enough? See SlideshowPossibly Effective for...
- Diabetes. The powdered leaves of white mulberry seem to lower blood sugar in people who have type 2 diabetes. Taking 1 gram of the powdered leaf three times a day for 4 weeks decreased fasting blood sugar levels by 27%, compared with an 8% decrease with the diabetes medicine glyburide, 5 mg daily.
Insufficient Evidence to Rate Effectiveness for...
- High blood cholesterol. In a small study of people with type 2 diabetes, white mulberry leaf, 1 gram taken 3 times daily for 4 weeks, reduced total cholesterol by 12%, and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol by 23%, and increased HDL (“good”) cholesterol by 18%.
- Common cold.
- Cough.
- Sore throat.
- Muscle and joint pain.
- High blood pressure.
- Asthma.
- Constipation.
- Dizziness and ringing in the ears.
- Hair loss and premature graying.
- Other conditions.
Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database rates effectiveness based on scientific evidence according to the following scale: Effective, Likely Effective, Possibly Effective, Possibly Ineffective, Likely Ineffective, and Insufficient Evidence to Rate (detailed description of each of the ratings).
QUESTION
Next to red peppers, you can get the most vitamin C from ________________. See AnswerDiabetes: White mulberry might lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. Watch for signs of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and monitor your blood sugar carefully if you have diabetes and use white mulberry.
Medications for diabetes (Antidiabetes drugs)Interaction Rating: Moderate Be cautious with this combination.Talk with your health provider.
White mulberry can decrease blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes medications are also used to lower blood sugar. Taking white mulberry along with diabetes medications might cause your blood sugar to go too low. Monitor your blood sugar closely. The dose of your diabetes medication might need to be changed.
Some medications used for diabetes include glimepiride (Amaryl), glipizide (Glucotrol), glyburide (DiaBeta, Glynase PresTab, Micronase), insulin, metformin (Glucophage), pioglitazone (Actos), rosiglitazone (Avandia), tolbutamide (Orinase), and others.
Report Problems to the Food and Drug Administration
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit the FDA MedWatch website or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
Andallu B, Suryakantham V, Lakshmi Srikanthi B, Reddy GK. Effect of mulberry (Morus indica L.) therapy on plasma and erythrocyte membrane lipids in patients with type 2 diabetes. Clin Chim Acta 2001;314:47-53. View abstract.
Andallu B, Varadacharyulu NC. Antioxidant role of mulberry (Morus indica L. cv. Anantha) leaves in streptozotocin-diabetic rats. Clin Chim Acta 2003;338:3-10. View abstract.
Andallu B, Varadacharyulu NC. Gluconeogenic substrates and hepatic gluconeogenic enzymes in streptozotocin-diabetic rats: effect of mulberry (Morus indica L.) leaves. J Med Food 2007;10:41-8. View abstract.
Asano N, Oseki K, Tomioka E, et al. N-containing sugars from Morus alba and their glycosidase inhibitory activities. Carbohydr Res 1994;259:243-55. View abstract.
Asano N, Yamashita T, Yasuda K, et al. Polyhydroxylated alkaloids isolated from mulberry trees (Morus alba L.) and silkworms (Bombyx mori L.). J Agric Food Chem 2001;49:4208-13. View abstract.
Chen J, Li X. Hypolipidemic effect of flavonoids from mulberry leaves in triton WR-1339 induced hyperlipidemic mice. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2007;16(Suppl 1):290-4. View abstract.
Doi K, Kojima T, Makino M, et al. Studies on the constituents of the leaves of Morus alba L. Chem Pharm Bull 2001;49:151-3. View abstract.
Du J, He ZD, Jiang RW, et al. Antiviral flavonoids from the root bark of Morus alba L. Phytochemistry 2003;62:1235-8. View abstract.
El-Beshbishy HA, Singab AN, Sinkkonen J, Pihlaja K. Hypolipidemic and antioxidant effects of Morus alba L. (Egyptian mulberry) root bark fractions supplementation in cholesterol-fed rats. Life Sci 2006;78:2724-33. View abstract.
Enkhmaa B, Shiwaku K, Katsube T, et al. Mulberry (Morus alba L) leaves and their major flavonol quercetin 3-(6-malonylglucoside) attenuate atherosclerotic lesion development in LDL receptor-deficient mice. J Nutr 2005;135:729-34. View abstract.
Hansawasdi C, Kawabata J. Alpha-glucosidase inhibitory effect of mulberry (Morus alba) leaves on Caco-2. Fitoterapia 2006;77:568-73. View abstract.
Hwang KH, Kim YK. Promoting effect and recovery activity from physical stress of the fruit of Morus alba. Biofactors 2004;21:267-71. View abstract.
Kimura T, Nakagawa K, Kubota H, et al. Food-grade mulberry powder enriched with 1-deoxynojirimycin suppresses the elevation of postprandial blood glucose in humans. J Agric Food Chem 2007;55:5869-74. View abstract.
Lee J, Chae K, Ha J, et al. Regulation of obesity and lipid disorders by herbal extracts from Morus alba, Melissa officinalis, and Artemisia capillaris in high-fat diet-induced obese mice. J Ethnopharmacol 2008;115:263-70. View abstract.
Lee SH, Choi SY, Kim H, et al. Mulberroside F isolated from the leaves of Morus alba inhibits melanin biosynthesis. Biol Pharm Bull 2002;25:1045-8. View abstract.
Moore LM. Plant Guide: White Mulberry. United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Available at: http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_moal.pdf. (Accessed 3 September 2009).
Mudra M, Ercan-Fang N, Zhong L, et al. Influence of mulberry leaf extract on the blood glucose and breath hydrogen response to ingestion of 75 g sucrose by type 2 diabetic and control subjects. Diabetes Care 2007;30:1272-4. View abstract.
Oku T, Yamada M, Nakamura M, et al. Inhibitory effects of extractives from leaves of Morus alba on human and rat small intestinal disaccharidase activity. Br J Nutr 2006;95:933-8. View abstract.
Park KM, You JS, Lee HY, et al. Kuwanon G: an antibacterial agent from the root bark of Morus alba against oral pathogens. J Ethnopharmacol 2003;84:181-5. View abstract.
Skupien K, Kostrzewa-Nowak D, Oszmianski J, Tarasiuk J. In vitro antileukaemic activity of extracts from chokeberry (Aronia melanocarpa [Michx] Elliott) and mulberry (Morus alba L.) leaves against sensitive and multidrug resistant HL60 cells. Phytother Res 2008;22:689-94. View abstract.
Yu Z, Fong WP, Cheng CH. The dual actions of morin (3,5,7,2',4'-pentahydroxyflavone) as a hypouricemic agent: uricosuric effect and xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2006;316:169-75. View abstract.