Diabetes mellitus is one of the major health problem worldwide, its
incidence and mortality are increasing day by day. Conventional antidiabetic drugs are
available with unavoidable side effects. On the other hand, medicinal plants act as an
alternative source of antidiabetic agents. From ancient times, herbs and spices have
been widely used in the food and for medicinal purposes. In culinary practices, these
are used as colorant, preservatives, and flavor substitution. In medicine, oxidative stress
and inflammation associated with noncommunicable diseases can be treated or
managed through herbs and spices. Phytochemicals like carotenoids, phenolic
compounds, sterols, terpenes, alkaloids, glucosinolates, and other sulfur-containing
compounds may be responsible for their protective and therapeutic effects. In this
modern era, it is necessary to inform consumers about the benefits of botanical
compounds. Many herbal plants have potential health claims that are not significantly
demonstrated. Since herbs and spices can be used to get better food value and human
health, as functional food ingredients they are helpful to decrease the risk of chronic
diseases. Much trial evidence for the use of herbal plants to treat diabetes mellitus has
uniformly demonstrated safety. However, further studies are needed to explore the
health beneficial effects of these herbal plants used for diabetes mellitus.
