Herbal Remedies Could Help Control Diabetes Symptoms
There can be no doubt that this is one of the fastest growing health epidemics in the world. There are 3.5 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 500,000 who are living undiagnosed with the condition.
Once you are diagnosed with diabetes or metabolic syndrome, your doctor will most likely prescribe a drug like metformin, to help control your blood sugar levels. While metformin may not have the damaging side effects of some diabetes medications, it does have the big drawback of depleting the body of vitamin B12, which could cause your homocysteine levels to rise and potentially increase your risk of heart disease.
5 Powerful herbs
As always, the mainstream is quick to ignore the fact that there are several herbs that could help control your blood sugar levels safely, without the risk of side effects.
Nutritionist and contributing editor of the Real Diabetes Truth, Martin Hum, recommends the following five herbs for diabetes and those suffering with metabolic syndrome:
Bitter melon (Mormodica charantia): This herb has been found to help improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood sugar levels and suppress appetite. A clinical trial, in which researchers compared the effects in diabetes patients of a bitter melon extract and the now-banned drug Avandia (rosiglitazone), showed that bitter melon could potentially be more effective in the management of diabetes and its related complications. Avandia was subsequently banned in the EU as it was linked with an increased risk of heart attacks.
Ivy gourd (Coccinia grandis): Compounds in this plant inhibit the enzyme glucose-6-phosphatase, which is one of the key liver enzymes involved in helping to regulate sugar metabolism. In a recent, double-blind trial, 60 patients with newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes were given an ivy gourd extract or placebo for 90 days. When tested, the ivy gourd group had fasting blood sugar levels that were 16 per cent lower than those of the placebo group and postprandial (after meal) levels that were 18 per cent lower.
Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre or cowplant): This herb has been used for hundreds of years in India to treat diabetes. A two-part study at London’s King’s College Hospital found that fasting and postprandial blood sugar levels in diabetic subjects appeared to improve after 60 days of treatment with gymnema extract. The researchers also showed that isolated pancreatic beta-cells in the laboratory secreted higher levels of insulin in the presence of gymnema extract.
Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum): This is a popular herb in Indian cooking, where it is known as methi. It contains an amino acid called 4-hydroxyisoleucine, which may stimulate the secretion of insulin, reduce insulin resistance, and decrease blood sugar levels in diabetes patients, according to a 2009 study on mice. In a small clinical trial from Iran, fenugreek appeared to reduce fasting blood sugar levels by 25 per cent and blood fats by 30 per cent, in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum): This familiar kitchen spice has a history of medicinal use that goes back thousands of years. Cinnamon helps to stimulate cellular receptors to respond more efficiently to insulin and helps prevent insulin resistance. A recent review of eight separate clinical trials concluded that cinnamon appears to be effective at reducing blood sugar levels both between and after meals, and that supplementation may help reduce complications from diabetes.
All of these herbs are available as supplements in the UK. It is worth looking into the possibility of using one or more of them if you have diabetes or metabolic syndrome, or if you have a family history of diabetes. But please discuss your intentions with your doctor before making any changes, particularly if you are taking medication.
On the subject of medication, you may have noticed how hard the drugs companies have been pushing a class of drugs called statins, which lower cholesterol levels. These are among the most frequently prescribed drugs and are often given to diabetic patients, who are at an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
But now, guess what? The American regulatory body, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned that statins may actually cause diabetes. I shall be giving you the full story on this in my next blog post.
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Sources:
1. Inayat-ur-Rahman, Malik SA, Bashir M, Khan R, Iqbal M. Serum sialic acid changes in non-insulin-dependant diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients following bitter melon (Momordica charantia) and rosiglitazone (Avandia) treatment. Phytomedicine. 2009; 16(5):401-405.
2. Kuriyan R, Rajendran R, Bantwal G, Kurpad AV. Effect of supplementation of Coccinia cordifolia extract on newly detected diabetic patients. Diabetes Care. 2008; 31(2):216-220.
3. Al-Romaiyan A, Liu B, Asare-Anane H, Maity CR, Chatterjee SK, Koley N, Biswas T, Chatterji AK, Huang GC, Amiel SA, Persaud SJ, Jones PM. A novel Gymnema sylvestre extract stimulates insulin secretion from human islets in vivo and in vitro. Phytother Res. 2010; 24(9):1370-1376.
4. Jetté L, Harvey L, Eugeni K, Levens N. 4-Hydroxyisoleucine: a plant-derived treatment for metabolic syndrome. Curr Opin Investig Drugs. 2009; 10(4):353-358.
5. Kassaian N, Azadbakht L, Forghani B, Amini M. Effect of fenugreek seeds on blood glucose and lipid profiles in type 2 diabetic patients. Int J Vitam Nutr Res. 2009; 79(1):34-39.
6. Davis PA, Yokoyama W. Cinnamon intake lowers fasting blood glucose: meta-analysis. J Med Food. 2011; 14(9):884-889.
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Thank you so much for this info. Your site is great and I’ve found some very useful articles to help me understand diabetes better and also to get some insight in how the medical mainstream works. It all seems like a business and not like a system designed to take care of patients. Thanks again.