Diabetes Alternatives

[Guest guest]

Diabetes Alternatives

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/Bookshelf/Books/41/41.cfm

 

In 1989, a physician from Florida wrote to Walter Mertz, M.D., then director of

the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center in

Beltsville, Maryland: " Enclosed is a sample of a 'weed.' A diabetic patient of

mine brought it back from the island of Trinidad. She has adult-onset diabetes

and was taking insulin until she began using this plant. Now she reports that

she adds the weed to vermouth and takes small sips of the mixture twice a day.

This has resulted in normalization of her blood sugars over the past six months.

I am hoping you will be able to identify the plant and to determine its

effective ingredient. "

 

Knowing of my interest in herbal medicine, Dr. Mertz sent me the letter and the

specimen, which I identified as jackass bitters (Neurolaena lobata), a tall

perennial weed vaguely resembling American ragweed. Its tincture is a

time-honored Creole-Caribbean treatment for diabetes and several other ailments,

among them colds, fever, malaria and menstrual cramps.

 

I'm not sure whether this herb really helps with all those other complaints, but

there is good research to show that jackass bitters helps regulate blood sugar

(glucose) levels. So it really does help manage diabetes. In several studies

using experimental animals, a tincture of the plant has been shown to be

anti-hyperglycemic, which is the medical term for anything, including insulin,

that lowers blood sugar. It is high blood sugar that is responsible for the

serious complications in people who have diabetes.

 

If the animal dose can be applied to humans, a 150-pound person would have to

consume about an ounce of the herb to gain significant anti-hyperglycemic

benefits. But based on the letter to Dr. Mertz, apparently some people gain real

benefits from taking considerably less. While the herb is difficult to find in

the United States, some health food stores and mail-order companies do carry it.

 

Problems with Fuel Supply

 

More than 2,000 years ago, the ancients noticed that some people produced

copious amounts of strangely sweet-tasting urine that attracted ants. (Tasting

urine was a diagnostic tool in many cultures.) They named the condition diabetes

mellitus, from the Greek for " fountain " and the Latin for " honey. "

 

Diabetes occurs either when the pancreas stops producing the hormone insulin or

the body becomes unable to use the insulin it produces. Glucose, the body's

major fuel, cannot enter our cells unless insulin is present and working.

Without insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream and eventually turns up in

the urine, causing the sweet taste that the ancients noticed. The sugar

imbalance also leads to increased urination and thirst.

 

Diabetes also causes narrowing of the small blood vessels throughout the body.

It seems that the higher the blood sugar level, the more the small blood vessels

narrow. As this happens, the blood vessels carry less blood, and circulation is

impaired. Poor circulation in turn leads to the complications of poorly

controlled diabetes: kidney disease, poor wound healing and foot and eye

problems.

 

Diabetic limb problems are the cause of about half of all U.S. amputations not

caused by injury. Diabetes also alters fat metabolism, increasing the risk that

cholesterol-laden plaque will build up in the large blood vessels. This means

that people who have diabetes are at considerable risk for heart disease.

 

Two Conditions, Two Approaches

 

There are actually two kinds of diabetes--Type I (insulin-dependent) and Type II

(non-insulin-dependent).

 

People who have Type I diabetes must inject themselves with insulin daily to

control their blood sugar. People with Type II produce their own insulin, but

their cells don't respond to it properly.

 

Type II is by far the more prevalent form of diabetes, accounting for 85 to 90

percent of cases. It is typically associated with obesity. People with Type II

diabetes can usually control their blood sugar through weight loss and diet,

sometimes in combination with oral medication that boosts the effect of their

own insulin.

 

It is often possible for people with Type II diabetes to avoid taking drugs, and

I favor this approach whenever possible. My review of the literature tells me

that dietary approaches are cheaper, more effective and more pleasant than most

of the pharmaceutical alternatives.

 

Some six million Americans are under treatment for diabetes. Almost as many have

it and don't know it. Like heart disease and many cancers, diabetes is strongly

associated with Western culture and diet. As members of non-Western cultures,

notably American Indians and Australian aborigines, have switched from their

traditional diets to a more Westernized diet, their rates of diabetes have

soared.

 

Natural Tactics to Beat Diabetes

 

Diabetes is a serious condition. If you have this disease, you should definitely

be under a physician's care. But there's a great deal that you can do to help

manage the condition.

 

Because obesity is so strongly associated with Type II diabetes, weight control

is an important element of diabetes self-care. A low-fat diet and regular

moderate exercise is the way to go. I'd suggest gradually working up to the

point where you can walk briskly for an hour every day. You already know how to

walk, and you don't have to buy any special equipment or join a health club. If

you've never been physically active, don't despair. Walking and other moderate

exercise programs produce the greatest benefits in those who have been the least

active.

 

There's also good evidence that supplementation can help prevent some diabetic

complications. I suggest that you ask your doctor for a referral to a clinical

nutritionist who can help you design the supplementation program that's right

for you. Supplements that may help include vitamins B6, C and E, chromium

picolinate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc, plus omega-3 and omega-6

fatty acids.

 

Green Pharmacy for Diabetes

 

In addition to exercising and taking supplements, you can try many herbs to help

normalize blood sugar levels. The first, jackass bitters, I've already

described. Here are the others in the lineup.

 

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). About half of fenugreek seed (by weight)

is a soluble fiber called mucilage. It contains six compounds that help regulate

blood sugar levels.

 

Fenugreek also increases blood levels of HDL ( " good " ) cholesterol while lowering

total cholesterol, so it can help prevent cardiovascular disease, a particular

hazard for people with diabetes.

 

Onion (Allium cepa). Onions have a long folk history of use as a dietary

supplement to treat diabetes in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. I'm not

surprised. Onions--especially the skins--are one of our best sources of the

compound quercetin, which has been shown to help with eye problems that are

often associated with diabetes, such as diabetic retinopathy.

 

Beans (Phaseolus, various species). Many studies demonstrate that eating foods

that are high in soluble fiber, notably beans, reduces the rise in blood sugar

after meals and delays the drop in blood sugar later on, thus helping to

maintain blood sugar at close to desired levels.

 

If I had diabetes, I would eat lots of beans and bean soups. (For the benefits

of both beans and onions, try my recipe for Dia-Beanie Soup.)

 

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia). Also known as balsam pear, this herb has

attracted considerable interest for its ability to regulate blood sugar. The

research was first published in India in the 1960s, and since then several

studies have shown that bitter gourd can help control diabetes.

 

In one trial, five grams (about two teaspoons) of powdered bitter gourd a day

decreased blood sugar by 54 percent. In another, taking 50 milliliters (about a

quarter-cup) of bitter gourd extract reduced high blood sugar by some 20

percent.

 

If you'd rather not fiddle with extracts, it's okay to just eat bitter gourd as

a side dish, according to Melvyn Werbach, M.D., assistant clinical professor of

psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, and

Michael Murray, N.D., co-authors of Botanical Influences on Illness.

 

You could also try juicing it. Or make a decoction by gently boiling four ounces

of chopped fresh bitter gourd in a pint of water until about half the liquid has

boiled off. Take it once a day.

 

 

 

Dia-beanie Soup

 

Beans contain a type of fiber that is particularly useful for controlling blood

sugar levels, and onion skin is particularly rich in the beneficial compound

quercetin, which serves the same purpose. Leaving the onion skin on while the

soup cooks means that more of the compound will end up in the soup bowl, where

you want it.

 

2 cups water

 

1 unpeeled onion, quartered

 

1 can (16 ounces) kidney beans, rinsed

and drained

 

1 small carrot, diced

 

1/2 cup peanuts

 

1/4 cup fenugreek sprouts or 1/2 teaspoon

fenugreek seeds

 

2 bay leaves

 

4 cloves garlic, chopped

 

Dash of ground cinnamon

 

Dash of ground cloves

 

Dash of turmeric

 

In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring the water and onions to a boil. Add

the beans, carrots, peanuts, fenugreek sprouts or seeds, bay leaves, garlic,

cinnamon, cloves and turmeric.

 

Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the onions are very

tender. Remove the onion pieces with a slotted spoon; peel off and discard the

skins. Lightly mash the onions with a fork and return to the saucepan. Remove

and discard the bay leaves.

 

Makes 4 servings

 

 

 

Garlic (Allium sativum). Like onions, garlic has a significant ability to

control blood sugar levels. Eat more garlic--raw, if possible, or lightly cooked

in food.

 

Macadamia nut (Macadamia, various species). Since 1986, dietary recommendations

for people with Type II diabetes have called for a diet with 15 to 20 percent of

calories from protein, less than 35 percent from fat and 55 to 60 percent from

carbohydrates. More recent studies show that substituting certain healthy

oils--monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)--for some of the carbohydrates can

improve blood sugar control while not increasing cholesterol levels.

 

Olive oil is the most noted source of MUFAs. But if you don't like olive oil or

simply want to expand your MUFA horizons, try macadamia nuts. They are up to 59

percent MUFAs. Other good sources of MUFAs include avocados, pistachio nuts,

cashews, peanuts and Brazil nuts.

 

Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis). Marsh mallow root is very high in a soluble

plant fiber known as pectin (35 percent on a dry-weight basis). Taking pectin is

an effective way to keep blood sugar levels down.

 

I'd steep the rather fibrous roots in water overnight, or better yet, buy a

commercial product. Other good sources of pectin include white-flowered gourd,

carrots, rosehips, apples and figs.

 

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Like beans, peanuts have the ability to keep blood

sugar levels down. They are criticized for being high in fat, but I love them,

munch them frequently and like to spread the news of their value.

 

Tea (Camellia sinensis). Indian researchers have shown anti-diabetic activity

for black tea. In studies, extracts of black tea significantly reduced blood

sugar levels in laboratory animals. If I had diabetes, I'd drink lots of tea.

You might add blood-sugar-lowering spices to the tea for a little extra help. In

fact, give my Insulinade a try.

 

Bay (Laurus nobilis) and other spices. My former USDA colleague, Richard

Anderson, Ph.D., has demonstrated that bay leaves help the body use insulin more

efficiently at levels as low as 500 milligrams (about a half-teaspoon). The

leaves have been shown to lower blood sugar levels in experimental animals. I

include a few bay leaves in my Dia-Beanie Soup as well as cinnamon, clove and

turmeric, which are good at controlling blood sugar levels.

 

Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre). There have been at least four Indian studies on this

herb, an Indian folk favorite for treating diabetes. The tea seems to boost

insulin production. There is also some intriguing evidence that it may actually

increase the number of islets of Langerhans, the cells in the pancreas that

produce insulin. A few forward-looking herbal dealers are already marketing this

herb in the United States.

 

Insulinade

 

There are a number of spices that research shows can help the body use insulin

more efficiently. These include bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric.

 

I'd simply add a pinch or two of each of them to a pot of black tea and steep

for ten minutes, then ice the tea. I might also add a pinch of coriander and

cumin. The research is not as strong on these two spices, but in animal studies,

both have been shown to lower blood sugar somewhat. Those who like fenugreek

might add a pinch of that as well.