Individuals who suffer from high blood sugar may soon have another natural way of improving their condition, as Chinese scientists have announced that an herbal extract may be useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers discovered that a natural compound called emodin, obtained from two herbal plants known as Rheum palmatum and Polygonum cuspidatum, produced a beneficial effect in lab mice with diet-induced obesity.

After being fed the emodin extract, the animals experienced lower blood sugar levels and improved insulin sensitivity. They also lost weight, especially abdominal fat.

“If repeated in humans, all of these changes would be beneficial for people affected by type 2 diabetes or other metabolic diseases associated with insulin resistance,” says lead author Ying Leng, Ph.D., from the Chinese Academy of Science, Shanghai, China.

The study was published in the August edition of the British Journal of Pharmacology.

According to the National Diabetes Association, more than 23 million children and adults in the United States suffer from this chronic condition. Moreover, another 57 million Americans are thought to be pre-diabetic.