Studies: ANTIDIABETIC ACTIVITY OF CHIOS MASTIC

In short: Several studies — in the laboratory, in animals and in some human volunteers — have investigated how Chios mastic and its compounds affect glucose metabolism and metabolic markers. This page summarises that research, with citations.

Study summaries

1. PPARγ activation (Petersen et al., 2011)

Identified oleanonic acid in Chios mastic as an activator of PPARγ, a receptor involved in glucose and fat regulation — which the authors suggested could be relevant to insulin sensitivity.

2. Enzyme inhibition (Vuorinen et al., 2015)

Found that triterpenes in mastic (masticadienonic and isomasticadienonic acids) selectively inhibit 11β-HSD1, an enzyme that influences glucose metabolism.

3. Diabetic mice (Georgiadis et al., 2013)

Reported reduced blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides — especially in low-dose groups — and improved liver-fat accumulation in diabetic mice.

4. Diabetic rats (Saad Ur Rehman et al., 2015)

Reported that 100 mg/kg of crude Chios mastic lowered blood sugar and improved glucose tolerance in diabetic rats.

5. Liver & inflammation (Tzani et al., 2016)

In an animal model of NAFLD, mastic was associated with lower glucose, triglyceride and IL-6 levels and reduced liver fat after 4 weeks.

6. Long-term human use (Triantafyllou et al., 2007)

Observed lower glucose levels in men who took Chios mastic daily for a year, with no side effects reported.

7. Healthy volunteers (Kartalis et al., 2015)

In 156 healthy volunteers, daily mastic intake was associated with lower fasting blood glucose and cholesterol, especially in overweight participants, with no adverse effects reported.

8. Insulin resistance (Fukazawa et al., 2018)

Reported that 5 g of Chios mastic per day reduced triglycerides and insulin resistance after 3–6 months in healthy Japanese men, especially when combined with exercise.

9. PPAR modulation review (Georgiadis et al., 2014)

A review concluding that triterpenes in mastic (such as oleanolic and gallic acid) may act as dual PPAR modulators, of relevance to glucose and fat metabolism.

Disclaimer: Chios mastic is a food supplement, not a medication. If you are considering it to support blood sugar, cholesterol or general health, please consult your doctor first. It may not be suitable for everyone, especially if you have a medical condition or take medication.

References

1. Petersen R.K. et al. (2011). Pharmacophore-driven identification of PPARγ agonists from natural sources. J. Comput. Aided Mol. Des., 25(2): 107–116.
2. Vuorinen A. et al. (2015). Pistacia lentiscus oleoresin: identification of masticadienonic and isomasticadienonic acids as inhibitors of 11β-HSD1. Planta Med., 81(6): 525–532.
3. Georgiadis I. et al. (2013). Evaluation of Chios mastic gum on lipid and glucose metabolism in diabetic mice. J Med Food.
4. Saad Ur Rehman M. et al. (2015). Anti-diabetic activity of crude Pistacia lentiscus in alloxan-induced diabetes in rats. Bangladesh J. of Pharmacology, 10(3): 543–547.
5. Tzani A. et al. (2016). Investigation of Chios mastic gum effect on metabolic profile in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice. Atherosclerosis.
6. Triantafyllou A. et al. (2007). Chios mastic gum modulates biochemical parameters in a human population. J Ethnopharmacol., 111: 43–49.
7. Kartalis A. et al. (2015). Effects of Chios mastic gum on cholesterol and glucose levels of healthy volunteers (Chios-Mastic). Eur J Prev Cardiol.
8. Fukazawa T. et al. (2018). Effects of Chios mastic gum and exercise on blood lipid markers, insulin resistance and hepatic function in healthy Japanese men. Food Science and Biotechnology.
9. Georgiadis I. et al. (2014). Beneficial health effects of Chios gum mastic and PPARs: indications of common mechanisms. J Med Food.