Start Taking Magnesium and Chromium Rich Diets to Control your Diabetes

Posted by admin on Aug 31st, 2010 | 0 comments

Manganese - Manganese is vital in the production of natural insulin and therefore important in the treatment of diabetes. It is found in citrus fruits, in the outer covering of nuts, grains and in the green leaves of edible plants.

The loss of magnesium in diabetic ketosis has been known for many years. About 37 percent of infants born to diabetic mothers have been found to be lacking in this mineral. It has also been found that children aged five to 18 years with well-controlled type-1 diabetes have lows serum magnesium values.

Magnesium - Magnesium also decreases the need for vitamin B6 and if it is increased in the diet, the amount of xanthurenic acid in the blood is reduced, even without vitamin B6 supplement. Moreover, magnesium is also necessary to active enzymes containing vitamin B6. Blood magnesium being particularly low in diabetic, it may be reasonably inferred that diabetes can result from a combined deficiency of vitamin B6 and magnesium. It may therefore, be advisable for any person with diabetes or a family history of the disease to take the at least 500 mg of magnesium and 10 mg of B6 daily.

Magnesium is widely distributed in foods. It forms part of the chlorophyll in green leaves. Other good sources of this mineral are nuts, Soya bean, alfalfa, apple, fig, lemon, peach, almond, whole grains, brown rice, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds.

Chromium - According to Dr. Richard A. Anderson, at the U. S. Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland, whatever the blood sugar problem, chromium tends to normalize it. Dr. Anderson believes that increased prevalence of type-2 diabetes is partly due to a deficiency of chromium in the diet.

Chromium has been found beneficial in the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Columbia University scientists, in a study reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition established chromium’s benefits for type-2 diabetes. They confirmed that chromium enhances insulin production in the body. Some other researchers have also confirmed that chromium helps stabilize blood sugar and increases energy.

Studies have also revealed that chromium supplements control total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and raise the good or HDL cholesterol. In some patients with impaired glucose tolerance, especially children with protein malnutrition, glucose tolerance showed improvement after they were given chromium supplements.

The recommended daily allowance of chromium is 50 to 100 micrograms. Some foods rich in chromium, besides broccoli, are whole grain cereals, nuts, mushrooms, rhubarb, Bengal gram, kidney beans, Soya beans, black gram, betel leaves, bottle gourd, corn oil, brewer’s yeast, pomegranate and pineapple.

Find complete diabetes information, diabetes supply, diabetes treatment, diabetes diet, diabetes causes, diabetes types. More on Diabetes Mellitus Information and Treatment Supply. Also see Natural Ayurvedic Herbal Cure for Diabetes.

Gestational Diabetes Diet Plan

Posted by admin on Aug 31st, 2010 | 0 comments

Gestational diabetes is one of the diabetes which is found during the pregnancy. It is during the pregnancy that the insulin becomes higher and causes difficulty for deliveries. During the pregnancy it is done as it will be helpful to both the mother and the child.

For more information meet : dr jack

Gestational diabetes is the diabetes that is found for the first time during pregnancy. It can be defined as carbohydrate intolerance of variable severity with onset during pregnancy. Diabetes means the blood sugar is too high. Among 1000 pregnant women three to eight are affected with this disease. The body produces the glucose which is good for your body but too much of glucose production is not good or it is harmful to body. When it occurs during the pregnancy then it harms the baby which is growing in the uterus.

This gestational diabetes occurs mainly during the pregnancy and disappears after delivery. The test of this gestational diabetes is done during the 24th or 28th week of pregnancy. This disease does not occur to all the pregnant women and it also does not cause any life threatening as the symptoms are mild. The increase in the maternal glucose makes the risk for the baby that includes size at birth, birth trauma, low blood sugar, jaundice and sometimes the fetus also dies with in the womb. This can be control and completely cured with the treatment of herbal and natural supplements

The causes for this diabetes are the changes that take place in the women body during pregnancy. There is a change in the hormones and weight gain which are the part of healthy pregnancy. But when this change takes place then it makes difficult for the body to take up the hormones called insulin.

It can be controlled if the woman maintains the blood sugar levels during her pregnancy and it reduces the risk to the baby during the delivery. The risk factors are if you are:

older enough for pregnant

unexplained death of your fetus in the past

previous baby weighing less than 9 pounds

birth defect in previous child and recurred infections

if a family background of diabetes

if an African American, America Indian, Asian American

if you are overweight

if your previous baby weighed only 9 pounds

if you are referred to be as predicaments before you got pregnant.

The gestational check up is done by the physician according to the need. The physician or the health care taker will recommend for the gestational diabetes test to check the glucose level in the blood. The blood glucose level may be checked at your first visit after your conformation as pregnant. If it is normal then it will be checked sometimes during the 24th or 28th week of pregnancy.

Some of the symptoms that are founded for this gestational diabetes are:

Increased thirst

Increased urination

Weight loss in spite of weight gain

Fatigue

Nausea and vomit

Frequent infection including those of bladder, vaginal or skin.

Blurred vision

So it is an urge need to control the glucose level during the pregnancy is to keep the fetus healthy and have a healthy safe delivery. There should be frequent check ups during pregnancy as it would be helpful for the close monitoring of the fetus and the mother. The self check or self monitoring helps the women to keep her fit and away from this gestational diabetes. There should be frequent tests of the fetus its growth and well being so that there is no problem in the delivery. The health care provider checks the heart beat of your baby and the moment so that whether the baby is well doing or not.

During pregnancy it’s an urge need to maintain dietary management provided by the health care provider to have adequate nutrients, proteins, and calories in the diet you daily intake. So to have a control of this gestational diabetes it is an urge need that there should be planned meal, physical activities and insulin’s or medications if needed.

The planned meal consists of limited sweets, three small meals and three snacks per day, have a care about the intake of the carbohydrates that is when it is needed, should include fiber in the meals that is fresh vegetables or fruits, grains, cereals and other healthy food. Physical activity consists of swimming, walking, some easy asanas which are good at pregnancy and the exercises suggested by your health care provider. Some women need insulin though there meal is planned or have a physical activity. So this will be provided by the health care provider.

For most of the women this gestational diabetes goes away after delivery. This can be checked after 6 to 12 weeks of the delivery. But you should be careful enough when your gestational diabetes disappears after your delivery. But it has a chance to occur when your get second pregnancy or this can also turn to diabetes type 2 in the future.

Diabetes Diet Guidelines * Time To End The Confusion of What to Eat

Posted by admin on Aug 30th, 2010 | 0 comments

For the diabetic, knowing what to eat, what foods to avoid, and how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight can seem very difficult.

To complicate matters even worse, there is no specific diet for diabetics. Help is available to make sure you have the information you need to learn and understand about diabetes diet guidelines.

Not following diabetes diet guidelines, is a common mistake made by most diabetics. Many diabetes don’t understand the needs of diabetes diet guidelines…or how closely tied to good diabetic control the food you eat can be.

The American Diabetes Association has what’s called the Diabetes Food Pyramid. Designed much like the revised (2005) version of the USDA’s Food Pyramid, this pyramid provides excellent information and diabetes diet guidelines to help you gain control of your blood sugars, your weight, and your diabetes.

Gain Better Control Of Your Diabetes Today Using Diabetes Diet Guidelines

The diabetes food pyramid is divided into six groups. The size of the groups varies. The larger the group, the more servings per day of foods within that group should be consumed.

Grains and starches (carbohydrates) is the largest group. This includes foods such as rice, pasta, breads, and cereals, potatoes, corn, peas, and some beans. The recommended number of servings per day is 6-11. Most people should use the lower number of servings.

The next group is vegetables. Vegetables are naturally low fat. This makes them a good food choice for everyone. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers are examples of vegetables in this group. Please note the more starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and others are in the grains and starches group. The recommended number of servings per day for this group is 3-5.

The middle layer of the Diabetes Food Pyramid is fruit. This group also contains some carbohydrates. Berries, melons, apples, bananas, peaches, grapes, and other fruits are found in this group. The recommended number of servings is 2-4 per day.

Following the fruits is the milk group. This includes milk and milk products. For those trying to reduce their weight and cholesterol choose low-fat dairy products. Recommended servings are 2-3 per day.

Almost at the top of the pyramid is the meat group. The meat group includes chicken, beef, turkey, fish, eggs, dried beans, cheese, and peanut butter. You only need 4-6 ounces servings per day.

At the top of the pyramid are the fats, sweets, and alcohol group. This group should be avoided. Most recommend keeping your portion sizes small and only having these foods on special occasions.

While diabetes diet guidelines do have some basic principles the best meal plan for you can only come by consulting with a nutritionist, with diabetes experience. Nutritional needs of diabetes vary from person to person. For example, a thin type 1 diabetic with kidney disease won’t have the same needs as an overweight type 2 diabetic

By evaluating your needs individually, diabetes diet guidelines can be established especially to meet your specific health and weight needs. A nutritionist will also be able to help you learn to make good choices when dining out, during holidays, and other “special times.” The nutritionist will also be able to factor in your likes and dislikes to create the best diabetes diet guidelines for your particular situation.

Don’t think of the diabetes diet guidelines as a diet. Think of it as your ticket to better control…and a healthy and happy life.

Diabetes Diet Guidelines * Time To End The Confusion of What to Eat

Posted by admin on Aug 30th, 2010 | 0 comments

For the diabetic, knowing what to eat, what foods to avoid, and how to achieve and maintain a healthy weight can seem very difficult.

To complicate matters even worse, there is no specific diet for diabetics. Help is available to make sure you have the information you need to learn and understand about diabetes diet guidelines.

Not following diabetes diet guidelines, is a common mistake made by most diabetics. Many diabetes don’t understand the needs of diabetes diet guidelines…or how closely tied to good diabetic control the food you eat can be.

The American Diabetes Association has what’s called the Diabetes Food Pyramid. Designed much like the revised (2005) version of the USDA’s Food Pyramid, this pyramid provides excellent information and diabetes diet guidelines to help you gain control of your blood sugars, your weight, and your diabetes.

Gain Better Control Of Your Diabetes Today Using Diabetes Diet Guidelines

The diabetes food pyramid is divided into six groups. The size of the groups varies. The larger the group, the more servings per day of foods within that group should be consumed.

Grains and starches (carbohydrates) is the largest group. This includes foods such as rice, pasta, breads, and cereals, potatoes, corn, peas, and some beans. The recommended number of servings per day is 6-11. Most people should use the lower number of servings.

The next group is vegetables. Vegetables are naturally low fat. This makes them a good food choice for everyone. Spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflowers, carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and cucumbers are examples of vegetables in this group. Please note the more starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn, and others are in the grains and starches group. The recommended number of servings per day for this group is 3-5.

The middle layer of the Diabetes Food Pyramid is fruit. This group also contains some carbohydrates. Berries, melons, apples, bananas, peaches, grapes, and other fruits are found in this group. The recommended number of servings is 2-4 per day.

Following the fruits is the milk group. This includes milk and milk products. For those trying to reduce their weight and cholesterol choose low-fat dairy products. Recommended servings are 2-3 per day.

Almost at the top of the pyramid is the meat group. The meat group includes chicken, beef, turkey, fish, eggs, dried beans, cheese, and peanut butter. You only need 4-6 ounces servings per day.

At the top of the pyramid are the fats, sweets, and alcohol group. This group should be avoided. Most recommend keeping your portion sizes small and only having these foods on special occasions.

While diabetes diet guidelines do have some basic principles the best meal plan for you can only come by consulting with a nutritionist, with diabetes experience. Nutritional needs of diabetes vary from person to person. For example, a thin type 1 diabetic with kidney disease won’t have the same needs as an overweight type 2 diabetic

By evaluating your needs individually, diabetes diet guidelines can be established especially to meet your specific health and weight needs. A nutritionist will also be able to help you learn to make good choices when dining out, during holidays, and other “special times.” The nutritionist will also be able to factor in your likes and dislikes to create the best diabetes diet guidelines for your particular situation.

Don’t think of the diabetes diet guidelines as a diet. Think of it as your ticket to better control…and a healthy and happy life.

Diabetes Treatment at Home: 3 Tips to Minimize Complications

Posted by admin on Aug 30th, 2010 | 0 comments

The treatment of diabetes is highly individualized. It will depend on the type of diabetes, whether you have other active medical problems, as well as your age and general health at time of diagnosis. However, one fact remains constant in treatment: if you have diabetes, you must make healthier lifestyle choices in diet, exercise, and other habits. These will help to improve glycemic (blood sugar) control and prevent or minimize complications of diabetes.

Diet: A healthy diet is key to controlling blood sugar levels and preventing diabetes complications.

*If you are obese and have had difficulty losing weight on your own, talk to your health care provider. He or she can recommend a dietician or a weight modification program to help you reach your goal.

*Eat a consistent, well-balanced diet that is high in fibre, low in saturated fat, and low in concentrated sugars.

*A consistent diet that includes roughly the same number of calories at about the same times of day helps your health care provider prescribe the correct dose of medication or insulin.

*It will also help to keep your blood sugar at a relatively even level and avoid excessively low or high blood sugar levels, which can be dangerous and even life threatening.

Exercise: Regular exercise, in any form, can help reduce the risk of developing diabetes. Activity can also reduce the risk of developing complications of diabetes such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, blindness, and leg ulcers.

*As little as 20 minutes of walking 3 times a week has a proven beneficial effect. Any exercise is beneficial; no matter how light or how long, some exercise is better than no exercise.

*If you have complications of diabetes (eye, kidney, or nerve problems), you may be limited both in type of exercise and amount of exercise you can safely do without worsening your condition. Consult with your health care provider before starting any exercise program.

Alcohol use: Moderate or eliminate your consumption of alcohol. Try to have no more than 7 alcoholic drinks in a week and never more than 2-3 in an evening. One drink is considered 1.5 ounces of liquor, 6 ounces of wine, or 12 ounces of beer. Excessive alcohol use is a known risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Alcohol consumption can cause low or high blood sugar levels, nerve pain called neuritis, and increase in triglycerides, which is a type of fat in our blood.

Smoking: If you have diabetes, and you smoke cigarettes or use any other form of tobacco, you are raising your risks markedly for nearly all of the complications of diabetes. Smoking damages blood vessels and contributes to heart disease, stroke, and poor circulation in the limbs. If you need help quitting, talk to your health care provider.

Self-monitored blood glucose: Check your blood sugar levels frequently, at least before meals and at bedtime, and record the results in a logbook.

*This log should also include your insulin or oral medication doses and times, when and what you ate, when and for how long you exercised, and any significant events of the day such as high or low blood sugar levels and how you treated the problem.

*Better equipment now available makes testing your blood sugar levels less painful and less complicated than ever. Your daily blood sugar diary is invaluable to your health care provider in seeing how you are responding to medications, diet, and exercise in the treatment of your diabetes.

*Medicare now pays for diabetic testing supplies, as do many private insurers and Medicaid.

Diabetes Symptom – You Can Do A Self-Check Of This Fatal Disease

Posted by admin on Aug 30th, 2010 | 0 comments

Are you finding yourself battling dizziness? Do you have the need to wake up and use the bathroom in the wee hours of the morning? Is you weight yo-yoing for no apparent reason? These are symptoms that have been associated with diabetes. If you answered yes to more than one of these diabetes symptom questions, you should see your doctor. But, if you answered yes to these questions, don’t automatically assume that you are diabetic. Following are some things to keep in mind when waiting to talk to your doctor.

There are two types of diabetes; Type one or Type II that show different symptoms. Blood sugar levels in the body that are elevated is a hallmark of the disease. And insulin production, or rather how it is used, is what differentiates the two types.

Type I diabetes is where there is not enough insulin made by the body to balance sugar levels in the blood. Teenagers and young children are more common like to have this which is why this is also known as Juvenile Diabetes.

When the body struggles to produce insulin is the Type II diabetes. This is the more common form of the ailment. Between the ages of 35-45 is when this will usually show itself. Also, three to five percent of pregnant women will experience gestational diabetes. The hormonal imbalance during pregnancy is the reason for this to occur during the 24th to 28 week of pregnancy.

There are a few major considerations when checking to see if the given symptoms and some minor ones as well. However, it is important to know that even minor diabetes symptoms, if left untreated can cause major problems. Amputation and loss of eyesight are some problems that can happen when major diabetes symptoms are ignored.

Excessive thirst is one of the minor diabetes symptoms. Even after a full meal, some people will still feel hungry. Frequent urination, particularly in the middle of the night is another sign that you may have diabetes. Fatigue is another thing that may point to diabetes as well as a sudden change in weight. I large weight gain, or more commonly, weight loss, is something to talk your doctor.

Blurred vision is an example of a major diabetic symptom that can lead to blindness if not treated. Tingling and numbness in the hands and feet can also occur as well as a weaken immune system. Dry or overly itchy skin can result from a reduced sweat gland and decreased circulation.

Additional problems can happen with any major or minor diabetes symptoms are ignored. Diabetics, for example, suffer from foot problems and poor circulation; these are urgent things to be taken care of. When your feet aren’t happy, generally speaking, the rest of you aren’t happy either.

Performing a self check on the internet before you go to your family doctor will help you determine whether or not you are experiencing more than one diabetes symptom. You find checklists and quizzes on line that may help you detect the aliment. You will want to make an appointment when ever you fell it is necessary to do so, but if the list gets too long, make the appointment whether or not you feel like it is a must.

Summary:

There are several symptoms associated with diabetes. If you suspect this is what has been bothering you, go on line and look for checklists and quizzes. Major and minor diabetes symptoms to look for are dizziness, nerve damage, blurred vision and excessive thirst and hunger.

Diabetes Guide: What Is Diabetes Ketoacidosis?

Posted by admin on Aug 29th, 2010 | 0 comments

Diabetes has become a common disease among people all over the world today. To combat the wide spread wings of diabetes, several modes of treatments have come up. But diabetes is not just a single disease. It comes in a package of its several forms. Of them the most deadly one is Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Diabetic ketoacidosis is also known as DKA. Diabetic Ketoacidosis is not triggered by itself. It is a consequence for an another diabetes. When diabetes mellitus goes untreated, it takes the shape of Diabetic ketoacidosis. If not taken care of properly, DKA can prove fatal to your life.

In a nut shell, Diabetes Ketoacidosis can be linked to an impaired glucose cycle that begins with the deficiency of the insulin enzyme in your body. If your diabetes goes undiagnosed you can suffer from this condition. And even if you are aware about your diabetic condition but still not taking any proper medication, then no body can stop you to fall in the trap of diabetic ketoacidosis. This form of diabetes is so much dangerous that if kept unnoticed the morality rate can be high as 100 percent.

It has been found that diabetic Ketoacidosis mainly occurs with type 1 diabetes. The reason being the fact that it is related to the circulating insulin disorder. On the other hand, it is less common in type 2 diabetes patients because type 2 diabetes is related to the cells insensitivity to insulin and not to the shortage of it.

Despite having high amount of glucose in the blood, the liver in your body will behave in a way as if your body is starving of glucose. In this case the liver will be forced to produce another type of fuel to fulfill the metabolic functions of your body. As a result the liver will be forced to use the body’s triglycerides to produce glucose. This glucose that will be produced will be used by the brain to carry on the functions. In this whole process, ketone bodies are produced as a by-product that help to process the fatty acids.

But like any disease, diabetic Ketoacidosis does have a treatment to it. The treatment mainly consists of the hydration process. Hydration lowers the osmosis property of the blood while replacing the lost electrolytes in it. In the process, insulin is also replaced which results in the production of glucose and potassium in the cells.

But still, prevention is better than cure. If you maintain a proper record of your glucose levels in the blood, the chances of you suffering from this disease remains bleak.

How The American Diabetes Association Helps You

Posted by admin on Aug 29th, 2010 | 0 comments

The American Diabetes Association is a national nonprofit organization that promotes scientific research in diabetes, public information regarding diabetes and advocacy for diabetics. The organization was founded in 1940 and has programs operational in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia. This is an organization that reaches hundreds of communities year round for the benefit of those with diabetes.

The stated mission of the American Diabetes Association is to find ways to prevent and cure diabetes as well as to improve the lives of all people who are affected by diabetes. Diabetes affects millions of Americans and the Association works on their behalf to find ways to make the disease easier to live with and possibly to prevent. It also supports research efforts at a number of academic organizations.

The American Diabetes Association funds scientific research and publishes the scientific findings that its researchers discover. The Association provides whatever information or service people with diabetes, their loved ones, health professionals or the public may need. Advocating for the rights of those with diabetes is also a part of what the association does on a routine basis.

The American Diabetes Association supports a national call center that received over 350,000 calls in the past year from people with questions, concerns or who needed support from the organization. It raises money to support research efforts, information programs and advocacy programs to help the 20 million individuals in the United States who suffers from diabetes mellitus.

The American Diabetes Association feels it has a responsibility to make sure that all work done under the auspices of the Association is above board. For that reason, they have developed a whistleblower program that allows people to report any suspected fraudulent or dishonest conduct related to resources supported by the Association.

One of the ways the American Diabetes Association raises money is through its online store. This is where they sell a large variety of cookbooks for diabetics, meal planning devices, self-care guides and other educational material for those who need help in managing their diabetes. They also have multiple events and fundraisers that increase the awareness of diabetes and raise money to support the various aspects of their mission.

An individual can become a member of the American Diabetic Association as an individual or as a health professional. In addition, the Association has thousands of children and adults who volunteer each year and various fundraisers and to help the Association function. Celebrities also help to make money for the organization every year.

Corporations can sponsor the American Diabetic Association. Through corporate sponsorship, research can be accomplished and a large amount of funds can help the Association function every year. In addition, the Association has coalitions and collaborations with organizations such as the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American College of Cardiology and the Diabetes Care Coalition. It even collaborates with Nickelodeon to help children understand the benefits of diabetic prevention and management.

Here are your Exercising Tips for Treating Diabetes

Posted by admin on Aug 29th, 2010 | 0 comments

When the pancreas produces too little or no insulin that is called type l diabetes. Someone coupled with diabetes type 1 will have to inject insulin during the day to retain safe blood sugar levels. Type II diabetes, also known as adult onset diabetes, is characterized by the pancreas not creating adequate amounts of insulin to control glucose levels. Or the cells are not responding to insulin.

When a cell does not respond to insulin, it is known as insulin resistance. If you are diagnosed with type II diabetes, exercise and weight control are given as measures to help with your insulin resistance.

Treating diabetes with exercise is part of the program. Lack of movement has been a strong indicator that diabetes could be at hand. Type l cannot be controlled with exercise. Ninety percent of those that have diabetes have type 2 which can be treated by working out and exercising.

The risk factors for type II diabetes connect: inactivity, important cholesterol, obesity, and hypertension. Inactivity alone is a strong risk factor that has been proven to lead to diabetes type II. Exercise will have a positive affect on diabetes type II while improving insulin sensitivity while type I cannot be controlled using an exercise program.

Part of my weekly program for treating diabetes is exercising. I look forward to going to my health club at least three to four times a week.

Riding the idle bike and playing basketball keeps my cardio count up. This is valuable for treating diabetes because it helps with my blood flow.

Working out causes the body to use glucose quicker. The more vigorous the exercise, the quicker the body will make use of glucose. Therefore it is essential to recognize the distinctions in training with type I and type II diabetes. It is important for a man or woman who has diabetes to get together with their physician as you are beginning an athletics program.

When training with a diabetic, you need to know the dangers of injecting insulin immediately prior to athletics. An individual that has type I diabetes injecting their normal quantity of insulin for a sedentary situation can pose the risk of hypoglycemia or insulin shock during exercise. Consult with your primary care person to find out what makes the most sense for you. You probably need to adjust your insulin level injections when you exercise.

General exercise guidelines for type I are as follows: allow adequate rest during exercise sessions to prevent high blood pressure, use low impact exercises and avoid backbreaking weight lifting, and always have a supply of carbohydrates nearby. If blood sugar levels get too low, the individual may feel shaky, disoriented, famished, anxious, become irritable or experience trembling. Consuming a carbohydrate snack or beverage will alleviate these symptoms in a matter of minutes.

Type 2 diabetes will be helped by exercise, because of its effect on insulin sensitivity. Proper athletics and diet are the best forms of avoidance for type II diabetics. Creating and maintaining a work out program that you can devote yourself to on a active basis will aid you when you are treating diabetes. Maybe even prevent it. Instead of gong for the highest levels of workout gradually increase the potency level of your program to prevent hypoglycemia.

There you have it. Obviously exercising is meaningful to you or you would not have come this far. Having a well rounded plan for treating diabetes makes perfect sense. Like what you eat, what exercises to do and what you can do naturally.

Take a look in the resource box for additional information about creating a thorough and well rounded diabetes treatment.

Herbs for Diabetes

Posted by admin on Aug 29th, 2010 | 0 comments

Herbs For Diabetes

A new line of diabetes remedy that is gaining fast popularity nowadays is herbal treatment, with an assortment of plant-derived herbal cures being promoted as capable of controlling blood sugar levels.

Recent scientific investigation has confirmed the efficacy of many of these herbal preparations, some of which are remarkably effective. Herbal supplements along with proper diet, exercise can really help a person keep his blood sugar in check, and thus avoid the serious complications associated with the disease.

Herbs have remedial powers to restore balance to the body, enabling it to rely on its own healing powers. People who decide to try herbs many a times find themselves feeling better, and therefore assume that their diabetes is well under control. But, one must also simultaneously keep monitoring his blood sugar level, to see that it is within the normal range.

It is not intended through this article to diagnose, prescribe, or cure diabetes, but only provide certain information about alternative diet and references to plant descriptions which have relevance to diabetes mellitus.

Some of the well known herbs that help keep diabetes under control -

1. Fenugreek (methi) – Fenugreek seeds to be soaked overnight in a glass of water. Next morning have the water and chew the seeds – proves very beneficial in controlling sugar.

Known side effects of high doses include mild digestive pain. Fenugreek should not be used by pregnant or nursing women.

2. Indian Kino or Pitasara – has a long history of use in India as a treatment for diabetes. The flavonoid – epicatechin, extracted from the bark of this plant helps reduce sugar levels.

3. Aloe vera – regarded as a ‘healing herb.’ Dried aloe vera sap and gel (taken from the inner portions of the leaves) is used traditionally to treat diabetes, as it is believed that it helps lower fasting blood glucose levels as well as HbA1c.

4. Cinnamon bark- Makes human fat cells more accessible to insulin. Increases the conversion of glucose to energy manifold times. It also blocks the formation of dangerous free radicals.

5. Basil (tulsi) – studies have shown a positive effect on postprandial and fasting glucose, The herb facilitates the insulin secretion process.

6. Tian hua fen (trichosanthis) – shown to reduce blood sugar levels in Chinese research studies. It is very commonly used in herbal formulas for diabetics.

7. Gymnema Sylvestre (Gurmar or Cherukurinja) – Gymnema, an Ayurvedic herb helps the pancreas in the production of insulin in Type 2 diabetic patients, as well as improves the ability of insulin to lower blood sugar in both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.

8. Onion and garlic – Onion and garlic have significant blood sugar lowering action. Onion extract reduces blood sugar levels during oral and intravenous glucose tolerance. Thus, onion affects the hepatic metabolism of glucose and increases the release of insulin, thus preventing insulin’s destruction.

Garlic and onions are beneficial for their cardiovascular effects. They are found to lower lipid levels, inhibit platelet aggregation and are antihypertensive.

9. Stevia – Stevia has been used traditionally to treat diabetes, and has beneficial effects on glucose tolerance. Stevia has been studied in animal experiments, but is yet to undergo large, controlled human studies.

10. Ginkgo biloba – Ginkgo biloba extract is useful for prevention and treatment of early-stage diabetic neuropathy.

11. Asian ginseng – Asian ginseng is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetes. It has a direct blood sugar lowering effect as it enhances the release of insulin from the pancreas and increases the number of insulin receptors.

12. Bitter Melon – The blood sugar lowering action of the freshly extracted juice or the pulp extract of the unripe fruit has been widely accepted. 50-60 ml of the juice if taken orally shows effective results. Excessive high doses of the juice can cause abdominal pain and diarrohea.

13. Bilberry – helps lower the risk of diabetic complications, such as diabetic cataracts and retinopathy (eye damage).

Certain precautions to be followed while taking herbs along with diabetic drugs -

« Some diabetes drugs and herbs should not be taken together as the herb may affect positively or negatively the drug’s effect on the person. People with any sort of renal disease, liver problem or any other chronic illness are at an extra risk for complications.

« People with some heart disease if taking a blood thinner such as aspirin, ecospirin should avoid taking garlic, ginger, ginkgo biloba, ginseng as it can lead to increased bleeding.

« If taking a herbal remedy, do not stop your current diabetes drugs if any.

« If taking a diabetes drug, ginseng can further lower blood sugar levels, possibly causing low blood sugar or hypoglycemia.

« If taking herbal supplements for diabetes, do it under medical supervision if possible. Keep monitoring sugar level regularly, to check for any sudden fall in glucose levels.

« Do not take any extra dose. More will not make your sugar less.

If you are a diabetic and taking medication to control blood sugar levels, it is best to have your blood sugar monitored while taking these herbs. Consult your doctor to adjust the dosage of medications accordingly, so that the blood sugar doesn’t drop too drastically. It is likely that one will eventually be able to taper off the herbs and medication, and control sugar through exercise and diet.

For diabetes information, Diabetes Testing, diabetes treatment, diabetes causes visit www.diabetesmellitus-information.com