[Role of phytotherapy in the prevention and treatment of obesity].

The rapidly increasing prevalence of overweight and diabetes mellitus is a serious global threat to healthcare. Nowadays, medicinal plants and natural treatments are becoming more and more popular. Diabetes has historically been treated with plants or plant derived formulations in different cultures, mainly in China, Asia and India. Different mechanisms for the antidiabetic effect of plants have been proposed: increased release of insulin, reduction of intestinal glucose absorption, enhancement of glycogen synthesis. The scientific evidences for most of these plants are still incomplete. The large market for plant remedies has resulted in an array of unauthorized products or marketed as dietary supplements and, at the same time, no reliable pharmaceutical-grade products are registered for this purpose.