A study, published in the January 2005 issue of Journal of the American Dietetic Association (pp. 65-71) and funded by Abbott Laboratories, shows that an herb used in traditional Indian medicine may control the rise in blood sugar that follows a meal, thus helping to treat or possibly prevent type 2 diabetes. The herb, Salacia oblonga, appears to work similarly to certain oral diabetes drugs, which impede the body's absorption of carbohydrates. Beverages with a 1,000mg dose of the herb reduced participants' post-meal blood sugar rise by about one-quarter compared with controls. One author noted the herb could someday be included into foods or beverages; however, one hurdle is that it can cause gas and cramping due to its effects on carbohydrate absorption.