Herbs and supplements for diabetes
Bitter-Melon is becoming popular
Cinnamon is
also becoming a useful therapy for blood sugar control.
Alpha lipoic acid is
helpful
Gymnema Sylvestre herb, you can find info on
gymnema
here.
Prickly-Pear-Cactus supplement
Chromium-Picolinate mineral
Vitamin D may be helpful for a diabetes patient.
During a 17-year follow-up of roughly 4,000 men and women, researchers found
that individuals with higher blood levels of vitamin D had a 40 percent lower
risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those with lower levels of this vitamin.
Diabetes Care, October 2007.
Vanadium Vanadyl sulfate is a mineral
that helps with blood sugar metabolism.
For more information on this mineral, see
vanadium
vanadyl sulfate.
Chromium picolinate and diabetes
The mineral chromium picolinate may help people with type 2 diabetes
better control their blood sugar. Chromium supplements are marketed as a
way to improve the body's use of insulin. Previous research has provided
conflicting results on chromium's insulin and blood sugar effects.
Researchers tested whether chromium picolinate supplements were useful in
combination with a sulfonylurea medication -- an older class of diabetes
drugs that often promote weight gain. Diabetic adults took either the
medication plus 1,000 micrograms of chromium picolinate per day or the
drug plus a placebo. After 6 months, those who took the chromium
picolinate supplement showed greater improvements in insulin sensitivity
and long-term blood sugar control. They also gained less weight and body
fat than those on the medication alone. This is encouraging news. we prefer a lower dosage of chromium picolinate to be used if a diabetic plans to take this supplement for
prolonged periods. Rather than 1,000 mcg, perhaps a 200 mcg pill with
breakfast and lunch might be appropriate.
Additional supplements
that may help Diabetes
Alpha lipoic
Acid is one if the most important nutrients to consider for diabetic
neuropathy and kidney disease
Acetylcarnitine is
a promising treatment for diabetic neuropathy
CoQ10
improves the function
of endothelial cells lining blood vessels and may slightly help with blood sugar
control.
Stevia is a no calorie
natural sweetener beneficial in lowering blood sugar
Fenugreek this herb
helps to improve blood sugar levels
Fish oils are some of the best
supplements to take for a variety of health conditions including heart and
circulatory issues, brain function, vision, and overall reduction of
inflammation.
Gymnema sylvestre
Flavonoids
Psyllium half or one
teaspoon in a glass of water twice daily with food. Or one capsule twice daily.
Gymnema extract
Natural Vitamin C with bioflavonoids
Natural Vitamin E complex
Cinnamon--1 to 6 grams
daily improves sugar levels and reduces blood lipids (one small study)
Multivitamins and Minerals
Chromium increases insulin sensitivity and binding, also increases number of
insulin receptors.
Ginseng in low doses
Magnesium
Spirulina
Vanadium or vanadyl sulfate
Other supplements in common use include
Nopal (prickly pear cactus), karela (bitter melon), and tronadora. The popularity of
these products varies among people of different ethnicities. Nopal is the most commonly
used herbal hypoglycemic among persons of Mexican descent. Karela is more commonly used by
persons from Asian countries.
Diet and Blood Sugar
Blood sugar (glucose) levels vary throughout the day, rising after a meal and returning to
normal within 2 hours. Blood sugar levels are normally between 70 and 110 milligrams per
deciliter (mg/dL) of blood in the morning after an overnight fast. They are usually lower
than 120 to 140 mg/dL 2 hours after eating foods or drinking liquids containing sugar or
other carbohydrates. Normal levels tend to increase slightly but progressively after age
50, especially in people who are sedentary.
Chugging more than one sugar-sweetened soft drink a day
appears to significantly increase one's chances of developing diabetes.
Diet, Diabetes,
Fiber, and Magnesium
High levels of cereal fiber and magnesium are associated with a reduced
risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The findings stem from an analysis performed
by Dr. Matthias B. Schulze and colleagues from the German Institute of Human
Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Nuthetal. The study involved over 25,000 adults,
between 35 and 65 years of age, who were followed from 1994 to 2005 for
diabetes. A food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess the participants for
the amounts of dietary fiber and magnesium. For a healthy
diet.
Vinegar for diabetes
blood sugar control?
A dose of vinegar taken at bedtime may help reduce blood sugar in
patients with type 2 diabetes. Dr. Carol S. Johnston and colleagues from Arizona
State University gave two tablespoons of vinegar with one ounce of cheese at
bedtime in four men and seven women (ages 40 to 72 years) with type 2 diabetes
who were not taking insulin. The vinegar treatment reduced fasting glucose by 6
percent in some of the patients. Diabetes Care, November 2007.
Diabetes and the beta cell
of the pancreas
Type 2 diabetes is a dual defect disease
characterized by insulin resistance and progressive beta cell secretory
dysfunction. The insulin resistance usually precedes the development of diabetes
by many years, tends to deteriorate over time and then plateau out, and the beta
cell initially can compensate for this insulin resistance by increasing
secretion of insulin to maintain glucose levels in the normal range, but
ultimately the beta cell begins to fail. As the beta cell begins to fail, we
usually see a rise first in glucose after a meal, followed by rising fasting
glucose, and of course there continues to be progressive beta cell deterioration
which reflects the natural history of this disease.
Insulin and
Diabetes
Insulin, a hormone released from the pancreas, is the primary
substance responsible for maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels. Insulin allows
glucose to be transported into cells so that they can produce energy or store the glucose
until it's needed. The rise in blood sugar levels after eating or drinking stimulates the
pancreas to produce insulin, preventing a greater rise in blood sugar levels and causing
them to fall gradually. Because muscles use glucose for energy, blood sugar levels
fall during physical activity.
Causes of Diabetes
Genetics, excess calories, high sugar intake, lack of exercise.
Certain medications can elevate blood sugar including certain diuretics, phenytoin, niacin,
and glucocorticoids. Smoking, already known to cause lung cancer, heart disease
and stroke, also raises the risk for
type two diabetes.
Diagnosis of Diabetes
Fasting blood sugar more than 126, random blood sugar more than 200 or HbA1c more
than 7%. HbA1c level times 25 is average blood sugar level.
Complications of diabetes
Cataracts, retinal damage, atherosclerosis, heart attack, erectile dysfunction, kidney damage,
carpal tunnel syndrome, and accelerated aging.
Suppliers of natural supplements
For a product
formulated by Dr. Sahelian that supports healthy libido, click
Passion Rx.
Patients with diabetes have noticed benefits from Passion Rx.
Diabetes study results
Elderly with
diabetes are significantly more likely to decline mentally over the years than
women without diabetes, and poor control of blood sugar levels may be partially
to blame.
Hormone replacement therapy used to treat postmenopausal symptoms seems to accelerate the build-up of deposits in the coronary arteries of women who have abnormal glucose tolerance -- a sign of impending or full-blown diabetes.
If a man with type 2 diabetes also
suffers from erectile dysfunction (ED),
it strongly suggests that he could well have coronary artery disease that's not
causing any symptoms, researchers report.
Taking cod liver oil early in life appears to
reduce the chances that children will develop insulin-dependent (type 1)
diabetes. The protection may possibly come from the anti-inflammatory effects of
long-chain n-3 fatty acids found in cod liver oil.
Multivitamins cut diabetic infections
Diabetes ulcer cream warning for
Regranex
FDA in June 2008 announced the addition of a boxed warning to the label of
Regranex Gel 0.01% (becaplermin) to address the increased risk of cancer
mortality in patients who use three or more tubes of the product. Regranex is a
topical cream for diabetic patients to treat leg and foot ulcers that are not
healing.
Diabetes and supplement use
questions
Q. My 13 years old son has been newly diagnosed with diabetes type 1. I am
looking for scientific medical help considering complementary medicine, namely
in what concerns natural therapies with natural herbs and nutrients. Yet I have
been dealing with some difficulty because the market is used to respond only
accordingly with the traditional medical approach, that is the necessary
controlled diet and regular insulin trying to maintain glucose levels. Yet with
this traditional approach is difficult to achieve good metabolic levels, namely
by constant hypo or hyper glycemias. Do you have any supplements recommended for
diabetes type 1, that might help reducing insulin intake and help metabolic
parameters? (I have read some interesting information about ivy gourd,
fenugreek, gymnena, bitter melon, chromium, vitamin B and C, NAC.
A. The supplements you mention are all beneficial for those with
diabetes type two. We have focused most of our attention on the treatment for
type 2 diabetes and don't have much experience or seen much research regarding
the treatment of diabetes type one in adolescents. Dietary intake of omega-3
fatty acids such as fish oils is associated with reduced risk of pancreatic
islet autoimmunity in children at increased genetic risk for type 1 diabetes.
Low consumption of simple carbohydrates improves blood sugar control in type 1
diabetes.
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