Herbs for Diabetes: What Options Exist for Using Herbs as Part of a Management Plan for Diabetes?Carefully planned meals, regular exercise, monitored blood sugar levels, and the use of medications, are often essential to maintaining good health for people living with diabetes. While these methods of managing diabetes and hopefully reducing, or preventing, long-term complications are important for regulating blood sugar levels, people are also increasingly considering using herbs for diabetes management. Although the idea of using herbal treatment for diabetes is gaining popularity today, using herbs to control blood sugar levels is far from new. Prior to the discovery of insulin and other effective methods for managing diabetes, a wide variety of plants and plant extracts were prescribed to help combat diabetes.Although research now exists to support the efficacy of some of the herbs used to help control blood sugar levels, it is important to be aware that much research still needs to be done. For example, according to Dr. David Fitz-Patrick, while some herbs for managing diabetes have been studied and do show a slight ability to lower blood sugar, their effects are not always strong or predictable enough to adequately manage diabetes. Furthermore, poor regulation and ingredient labeling on commercially available herbal remedies is also an issue to be aware of. Yet, despite the need to exercise caution before turning to herbs for diabetes management, there have also been more promising studies conducted recently that suggest benefits from using alternative medicines for people suffering from blood sugar disorders. One such example is the Glucotor product, a supplement developed by Jon Barron. Clinical trial participants taking Glucotor, containing the extracts of herbs like prickly pear cactus, gymnena sylvestre, fenugreek, cinnamon, banaba, and bitter melon, showed a 54.5 point drop in blood sugar levels in six weeks of taking the supplement. More information on Jon Barron’s Glucotor formula can be found here. http://www.newstarget.com/019405.html A look at some of the more popular and well-documented herbs for diabetes: Bitter Melon: This tropical vegetable, cultivated in Asia, Africa, and South America, has a history of being used extensively as a remedy for diabetes. Experimental and clinical studies have indicated that the fresh juice or extract of the unripe fruit have abilities to lower blood sugar. Charantin, a hypoglycaemic agent, and momordica, which contains an insulin-like polypeptide, are among the important compounds in bitter melon for lowering blood sugar levels. On a cautionary note, high doses of bitter melon can cause diarrhea and abdominal pain, and it should not be used by people with low blood sugar. People taking hypoglycemic medications or insulin should also use bitter melon with caution, as it may interfere with the effectiveness of these drugs. Fenugreek: Numerous studies suggest that this spice, used commonly in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, can reduce blood sugar and cholesterol levels in people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. The active ingredients responsible for the anti-diabetic properties of fenugreek are found in the seed and include the alkaloid trogonelline, nicotinic acid, and coumarin. High doses of fenugreek can lead to mild digestive problems, and fenugreek seeds should also be avoided by pregnant and nursing women. Cinnamon: Cinnamon, the inner bark of a tropical evergreen tree native to Sri Lanka and India, has insulin-like properties which can contribute to lowered blood sugar levels and cholesterol, especially important for people with Type 2 diabetes. Found in almost any grocery store in a powdered form, cinnamon can easily be added to the diet of someone with diabetes. Blueberry: A close relative of the European bilberry, blueberry has a long history of folk use as an herb for diabetes, being used as a natural method of controlling or lowering slightly elevated blood sugar levels. The leaves, the important part of the blueberry plant for people with diabetes, contain an active ingredient that has been shown to be effective in helping the body rid itself of extra sugar in the blood. Banaba: With a long history of use in the Philippines as an herb for diabetes, banaba is now gaining popularity throughout the rest of the world, including in western medicine. Medical research and clinical trials, in the Philippines and elsewhere, are showing that banaba, with the active compound corosolic acid, may have uses as part of diabetes management. Gymnema Sylvestra (Gurmar leaf): This Ayurvedic herb is said to improve the ability of insulin to lower blood sugar levels and to assist the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin in people with Type 2 diabetes. Gymnema can be prescribed by doctors for mild cases of Type 2 diabetes, in conjunction with other standard treatments. Asian and American Ginseng: Commonly used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat diabetes, Asian ginseng has been shown to increase the number of insulin receptors and enhance the release of insulin from the pancreas. In particular, studies have suggested that the extract of Asian ginseng was helpful in improving blood sugar control and increasing energy for people with Type 2 diabetes. Studies conducted at the University of Toronto have also shown that American ginseng is beneficial in terms of reducing the spikes in blood sugar levels that can occur after meals. Onion and Garlic: The bulbs of garlic and onions are significant hypoglycemics, and evidence suggests that the active compounds, allyl propyl disulphide (APDS) and diallyl disulphide oxide (allicin), contained in the bulbs lower blood sugar levels by competing with insulin in the liver. In addition, their cardiovascular effects, including regulating blood pressure and inhibiting platelet aggregation, are also beneficial for people with diabetes. Before beginning any herbal treatment plan it is always advisable to consult with a health practitioner, preferably a naturopath as opposed to an M.D. Given the individualistic nature of the symptoms of diabetes, it is especially important that you avoid self-medicating. However, when combined with healthy lifestyle and dietary changes, including reducing (or ideally eliminating) foods with ingredients like refined white sugar, sucrose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, and white flour, herbal supplements may become an important part of your routine for managing diabetes. While herbal therapy is used less frequently than the more conventional means of managing diabetes (including the use of insulin and other pharmaceuticals), many people are convinced that using herbs for diabetes treatment helps diminish the symptoms of the disease, while also addressing the root causes of diabetes. |
