Summary: Diabetes belongs to the most frequently occurring civilization diseases. The costs associated with treating people with diabetes are also increasing. Due to late complications, which are a derivative of the quality of treatment and often too late diagnosis of the disease, it is important to monitor the metabolic status of patients and people at risk of diabetes, and to adapt the treatment adequately to the current health condition. In addition to pharmacotherapy conducted in accordance with the recommendations of the Polish Diabetes Association, the role of lifestyle changes, diet and eating habits as important factors influencing the course of the disease is emphasized. Thus, more and more often natural products such as herbal preparations, dietary supplements that can strengthen pro-health behavior and improve glycemic control are being sought. We present an overview of studies on the mechanism of action of gymnema sylvestre and clinical effects based on selected clinical trials.