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Natural
Diabetes Cure
Alternative Natural Treatments
Diabetes and it's complications can be treated and/or prevented
safely without prescription drugs. If you have diabetes or any of
the risk factors for diabetes or are just concerned about diabetes,
you should start now with a natural treatment plan to reduce your
risk.
There are 3 components to a natural diabetes cure:
1.
Diet: The single
most important change any diabetic or person at risk can make is to
improve their diet. A proper diabetic diet should have a low
glycemic index . . . which means containing low simple
carbohydrates, moderate protein and high fiber. This diabetic diet
will reduce blood sugar, reduce insulin levels, and reduce the need
for medications. It will also help to reduce weight, reduce blood
pressure and support overall health and energy.
2.
Exercise: Many
studies have shown that exercise is of great benefit to diabetics
and can significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Regular physical activity helps reduce weight, lower blood sugar,
improve insulin sensitivity, strengthen the immune system, improve
circulation, lower blood pressure, lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol,
raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, and reduce risk of heart disease.
3.
Nutritional
Supplements: There are a number of nutritional supplements that
every diabetic should be taking on a daily basis. These supplements
are very effective in helping to lower blood sugar and insulin
levels, reduce cholesterol levels, reduce triglyceride levels,
reduce blood pressure, improve energy, and reduce the risk of heart
disease.
These supplements can
also protect your tissues (eyes, kidneys, blood vessels) from the
damage diabetes often causes. They can also support your immune
system, protect your heart, and improve circulation.
The effectiveness of
these supplements is not at all theoretical, but rather is fact.
There are thousands of published studies proving the beneficial
effects these supplements have on diabetics. Amazingly enough,
despite the overwhelming evidence, most M.D.'s do not recommend
nutritional supplements to their diabetic patients. Fortunately, a
prescription is not required.
If you have diabetes .
. . supplementation is more than important . . . it is vital!
Every diabetic should
take these proven supplements: Alpha Lipoic Acid, Chromax®,
Vanadium,
Cinnamon, Banaba Leaf, Fenugreek, Gymnema Sylvestre and Momordica
Alpha
Lipoic Acid
Alpha Lipoic Acid
(also known as thioctic acid or lipoic acid), is a very powerful,
natural antioxidant; and is the single most important supplement you
can take to treat diabetes. Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a medium
length, disulfide fatty acid. In other words . . . it is an 8
carbon, fatty acid, containing two sulfur atoms. It occurs naturally
in our bodies, but not in the free form. The body actually converts
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) to DiHydro Lipoc Acid (DHLA).
ALA
was first isolated in 1953 and was quickly discovered to be a very
important cofactor in the Krebs cycle (the body's main process for
converting carbohydrates into energy). ALA and its cousin DHLA are
often referred to as the "ultimate universal antioxidants". They
(referred to collectively as LA) are the only antioxidants that are
both fat and water soluble. Both can actually cross the blood/brain
barrier to enter the brain. These unique qualities are important,
because it means that LA can access all parts of all cells,
giving it tremendous ability to scavenge free radicals wherever they
may be. Additionally, LA can also recharge other antioxidants that
have been used up. In the body, LA helps regenerate other
antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and glutathione. And,
because LA functions much like a B-vitamin, it also helps convert
food into energy.
Although the body makes some alpha lipoic acid, it is not enough for
optimal nutrition. Likewise, there are only very small amounts of
ALA found in some of our daily foods such as broccoli, potatoes, and
liver. In these foods, it actually occurs as lipolylysine though,
and not actual lipoic acid itself. You'll never get any useful
amount of ALA from your diet alone . . . broccoli (one of the best
food sources), for example, contains a mere 100 micrograms per 100
gram serving. This means you would have to eat over two pounds of
broccoli to get one single milligram of lipolylysine to convert into
alpha lipoic acid.
Everyone over the age of forty (diabetic or not) should be
supplementing with 200 mg/day of ALA, for its powerful antioxidant
properties. Supplementation is the only way to get this vital
nutrient in your body. if you are diabetic . . . you simply must
take ALA daily . . . there is a mountain of evidence supporting the
major benefits it provides all diabetics.
The
journal BioFactors (volume 10, 1999) published a study conducted at
the Eberhard-Karls University in Germany titled "Thioctic
Acid-Effects on Insulin Sensitivity and Glucose-Metabolism". In
their study, real adult human diabetics were given various doses of
ALA. The doctors found that in just 10 days, ALA helped cure insulin
resistance, normalize blood sugar levels and cure diabetes.
The
researchers pointed out that "Thioctic acid is a co-factor of key
mitochondrial enzymes, involved in the regulation of glucose
oxidation, such as the pyruvate dehydrogenase and the alpha-ketoglutatarate
dehydrogenase, both enzyme complexes which are known to be
diminished in diabetes." In plain words, this means ALA works with
our bodies' enzymes to prevent glucose from being oxidized. They
concluded "The clinical and experimental data indicate that this
compound has beneficial effects on insulin sensitivity, correcting
several metabolic pathways known to be altered in type 2 diabetes,
such as insulin stimulated glucose uptake, glucose oxidation and
glycogen synthesis." The authors quote two human studies published
in Diabetologica 1995 and Arzneimittelorschung 1995. "Here insulin
sensitivity was increased 27 to 51% in merely 10 days!"
This is nothing less than incredible! Keep in mind . . . these are
real human studies, conducted at a major university, with 39
citations and with no funding from anyone. Results like this are far
more than any pharmaceutical drug, anywhere on earth, at any cost .
. . could even begin to approach.
Other studies have shown that ALA Increases glucose effectiveness.
When ingested, ALA decreases serum lactate and pyruvate
concentrations improving glucose effectiveness in both lean and
obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Additionally, because ALA
inhibits glycosylation and peroxidation of nervous tissues and
increases the levels of intra-cellular glutathione, it has been used
to improve diabetic nerve damage and reduce pain associated with
that nerve damage.
Nerve damage or neuropathy effects over 50% of diabetics and is one
of its most damaging complications. A study published in "Diabetes
Care" has shown that supplementing with ALA can partly restore
diabetic nerve function after only four months of high-dose oral
treatment. In 2001, Nutrition 17 published a study which was
conducted at the University of Southern California, titled
"Molecular Aspects of Lipoic Acid in the Prevention of Diabetes
Complications". The researchers concluded "Available data strongly
suggest that ALA, because of its antioxidant properties, is
particularly suited to the prevention and/or treatment of diabetic
complications . . . In addition, ALA increases glucose uptake . . .
increases glucose disposal in type 2 diabetics and markedly reduces
the symptoms of diabetic pathologies, including cataract formation,
vascular damage and polyneurpathy". These are rather powerful
statements coming from very well respected research groups.
Chromium
and Vanadium are two
very important minerals for diabetics.
Chromium can actually
help insulin transport sugar to the cells. It works to make insulin
more effective by "bridging" insulin to cell membranes, thus
increasing the number of active insulin receptors, resulting in
increased insulin sensitivity.
The
trace mineral chromium is found in skin, fat, muscle, brain and
adrenal glands. There is only about 6 mg in you, but it is ever so
important! Chromium absorption through the small intestine is very
poor; so normally, a lot of it gets excreted in urine. People with
diabetes excrete even more chromium than healthy people; and the
loss of this vital nutrient makes it harder for their bodies to
respond to insulin. Studies show that chromium supplements can help
both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics control their blood sugar.
There are various forms of chromium suitable for human ingestion.
The picolinate form of chromium called "chromium picolinate" is the
most absorbable. It is a unique molecule that combines chromium with
picolinic acid, a compound found in breast milk, which helps the
body better absorb and process minerals.
In
June of 2002, Chromax® (the "Nutrition 21" patented brand of
chromium picolinate) was affirmed by the FDA as "Generally
Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) for use in food products, one of only a
handful of ingredients to have secured this status at clinically
effective doses for use in foods marketed for weight loss and
glucose control. In addition, Chromax®; has demonstrated that it is
significantly more bioactive than other forms of chromium.
Vandium (vanadyl sulfate) is a trace element that exhibits a variety
of significant insulin-mimetic properties . . . actually doing the
job of insulin and transporting sugar to the cells.
Clinical trials indicate that "in vitro", vanadium salts have most
of the same major effects of insulin on insulin-sensitive tissues.
Favorable results are seen, as well, in animal models of insulin
deficiency, where vanadium significantly reduces blood glucose
levels, and in insulin-resistant diabetic animals, where vanadium
improves glucose homeostasis.
In
"in vivo" animal studies, examining the relationship between
hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance and hypertension, vanadium
compounds produce significant, sustained decreases in both plasma
insulin concentration and blood pressure. Restoring plasma insulin
levels reversed the blood-pressure effect.
Clinical trials with vanadium compounds have produced benefits in
both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients. Results have been better,
however, in type 2 patients. Six type 2 diabetic subjects treated
with 100 milligrams of vanadyl sulfate daily for four weeks had
significant reductions in fasting plasma glucose; beneficial effects
on insulin sensitivity persisted for up to four weeks after vanadium
treatment ended.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is the brown
bark of the cinnamon tree, which when dried, rolls into a tubular
form known as a quill. It is available in either its whole quill
form (cinnamon sticks) or as ground powder. Cinnamon is one of the
oldest spices known.
It
turns out that cinnamon is much more than just a spice . . . it has
demonstrated great medical application in preventing and combating
diabetes. According to cellular and molecular studies conducted at
the University of California, Santa Barbara, Iowa State University
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture . . . Cinnamon plays the role
of an insulin substitute in type II diabetes.
This initial discovery was made quite accidentally, by Richard
Anderson at the US Department of Agriculture's Human Nutrition
Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland.
"We
were looking at the effects of common foods on blood sugar," he told
New Scientist. One was the American favourite, apple pie, which is
usually spiced with cinnamon. "We expected it to be bad. But it
helped," he says.
Anderson's team found that people who eat apple pie have a
significantly lower probability of getting Type II diabetes. Upon
further examination, he isolated cinnamon as the substance in the
apple pies that was preventing the diabetes.
They recently completed a human study with associates in Pakistan
using cinnamon. Their study included 60 Pakistani volunteers (30 men
and 30 women ranging in age from 44 to 58 years) with type 2
diabetes, who were not taking insulin. Subjects were divided into
six groups. For 40 days, groups 1, 2 and 3 were given 1, 3 or 6
grams of cinnamon per day, while groups 4, 5 and 6 received placebo
capsules.
The
results were quite remarkable:
-
All three of the groups given cinnamon showed reduced blood sugar
levels.
-
Collectively, all three levels of cinnamon resulted in:
-
reduced blood
sugar levels by by 18-29%,
-
reduction of
triglycerides by 23-30%,
-
reduced LDL
cholesterol by 7-27%,
-
reduced total
cholesterol by12-26%.
-
Even the group with the lowest amount of cinnamon (1 gram per
day),
produced an approximately 20% drop in blood sugar.
-
When daily cinnamon was stopped, blood sugar levels began to
increase.
-
No significant changes were seen in those groups receiving
placebo.
The
researchers' concluded: "Including cinnamon in the diet of people
with type 2 diabetes will reduce risk factors associated with
diabetes and cardiovascular diseases."
"I
don't recommend eating more cinnamon buns, or even more apple pie .
. . there's too much fat and sugar," says Anderson."The key is to
add cinnamon to what you would eat normally."
Further studies by the Anderson team have coroberated cinnamon's
ability to improve insulin activity; and have led to the discovery
of cinnamon's active ingredient; as well as an understanding of it's
structure, and the mechanism by which it enhances insulin activity.
Using nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy, the Anderson
team was able to describe the chemical structure of a molecule with
"insulin-like" activity in cinnamon, as a water-soluble polyphenol
compound called methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP).
Dr.
Anderson discovered that MHCP not only stimulates glucose uptake by
our cells, but it can even help in the synthesis of glycogen, a
polymer of glucose that our bodies produce as a means of storing
energy for later use, when it is depolymerized back to glucose.
Producing adequate amounts of glycogen is a principal function of
blood sugar metabolism, and MHCP can help. Anderson notes . . . "The
chemical is very easily obtained." One of his colleagues tried
soaking a cinnamon stick in tea. "He isn't diabetic . . . but it
lowered his blood sugar." said Anderson. The Anderson team was
awarded patents related to MHCP in 2002.
In
their latest paper, published in the Journal of Agricultural and
Food Chemistry, Anderson et al. conclude that MHCP mimics insulin,
has effects similar to that of insulin and works almost as well as
insulin. He asserts that both of these substances work by chemically
modifying our cells' insulin receptors in a manner that activates
them to do their job, which is to allow glucose molecules to pass
through the cell wall into the insulin cascade. He also discovered
that when MHCP and insulin act together, the effect is synergistic,
i.e., the total effect is greater than the sum of its parts." They
characterize the insulin-enhancing complexes in cinnamon as "a
collection of catechin/epicatechin oligomers that increase the
body's insulin-dependent ability to use glucose roughly 20-fold".
Don
Graves of UCSB (a former professor of Anderson) has focused his
studies on the way cinnamon operates at cellular and molecular
levels, looking at how it works with the cell's insulin receptor and
other proteins involved in the action of insulin. Both test tube and
animal studies have shown that compounds in cinnamon not only
stimulate insulin receptors, but also inhibit an enzyme that
inactivates them, thus significantly increasing cells' ability to
use glucose.
Additionally, Graves found that cinnamon is a very powerful
antioxidant with the ability to neutralize free radicals, often
elevated in diabetics, helping to minimize oxidative stress which
plays such a big role in the disease. In fact, when compared to six
other antioxidant spices (anise, ginger, licorice, mint, nutmeg and
vanilla) and three chemical food preservatives (BHA (butylated
hydroxyanisole), BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), and propyl gallate),
cinnamon prevented oxidation more effectively than all the other
spices (except mint) and more effectively then any of the chemical
antioxidants.
Some scientists had been concerned about potentially toxic effects
of regularly consuming cinnamon. The latest research shows that the
potentially toxic compounds in cinnamon bark are found primarily in
the lipid (fat) soluble fractions and are present only at very low
levels in water soluble cinnamon extracts, which are the ones with
the insulin-enhancing compounds.
Banaba
Leaf
Banaba (Lagerstroemia
speciosa) is a plant native to India, Southeast Asia and the
Philippines and has several medicinal uses. In many cultures the
banaba leaf is brewed into a tea and used as a treatment for
diabetes and as a weigh loss aid. Banaba Leaf Extract provides a
blood sugar lowering effect similar to that of insulin in that it
induces glucose transport from the blood into body cells.
Recently, researchers have isolated an active ingredient in the
banaba leaf called corosolic acid which was originally thought to be
"the" blood sugar regulating substance in the leaf. Other
researchers have found that corosolic acid may not be the only
active ingredient in banaba leaves. A study published in the journal
Planta Medica in 2001 compared a whole-leaf extract of banaba with
insulin in cell cultures. The researchers concluded that the whole
herb has a glucose lowering effect. Another study reported that
banaba leaf extract contains at least three active ingredients that
effect blood sugar.
In
animal studies, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in a
significant decrease of blood glucose. The same studies suggest that
corosolic acid may stimulate glucose transport into tissue. In other
animal studies, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in
reduced weight gain, reduced triglyceride accumulation and reduced
adipose tissue, with no changes in diet. In noninsulin-dependent
animals, administration of banaba leaf extract resulted in
suppressed blood plasma glucose, lower serum insulin and lower
urinary excretion of glucose.
In
clinical studies conducted by Dr William Judy and associates at the
Southeastern Institute of Biomedical Research in Bradenton, Florida,
a one per cent corosolic acid extract of banaba leaf reportedly
reduced serum glucose 20-30% in people with type 2 diabetes, but did
not reduce serum glucose in healthy individuals.
In
a prior study, some of the same researchers observed that
individuals receiving the corosolic acid extract also had an
increased tendency toward weight loss . . . an average of about 3.2
pounds.
Gymnema
Sylvestre
Gymnema Sylvestre is
another herb, whose traditional use in treating diabetes, has been
backed up by recent medical research. Originating from India,
Gymnema Sylvestre is known as gur-mar, or "sugar destroyer." When
gymnema leaf is placed directly on the tongue, it eliminates the
sensation of sweetness, even if sugar is put in the mouth
immediately following. When taken internally, it helps to control
blood-sugar levels in diabetes.
The
leaves of Gymnema sylvestre perform two significant functions
relative to diabetes. First, they suppress blood glucose, especially
after eating. Secondly, they are insulinotropic and promote insulin
secretion. By this two-pronged approach, Gymnema sylvestre proves a
valuable aid in diabetes control.
Scientists think its active ingredients (gymnemic acids) protect the
cells of the pancreas from free radical damage, so allowing them to
regenerate and produce insulin more effectively (Nutrition 2004;
20(3): 280-285). Studies have shown that gymnema can also reduce
glucose absorption from the intestine, so helping to regulate blood
sugar levels. A recent Harvard study indicates the Gymnema lowers
blood sugar levels in Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics. A recent King's
College, London, study states that Gymnema acts by increasing cell
permatibility, therefore reducing insulin resistance.
Momordica
Bitter melon is the
common name for Momordica charantia, also known as African cucumber,
balsam pear and bitter gourd. The plant is aptly named, as all parts
of the plant, including the fruit, taste bitter. Widely sold in
Asian groceries as a vegetable, bitter melon is employed as a folk
remedy primarily for regulating blood sugar in cases of diabetes, as
well as for colitis and dysentery, intestinal worms, jaundice and
fevers. Current understanding of the phytochemicals in bitter melon
suggests that these multiple uses are well founded.
Among the constituents in bitter melon, charantin is identified as a
primary agent for blood-sugar regulation. Charantin demonstrates
hypoglycaemic (blood sugar lowering) or other actions of potential
benefit in diabetes. The fruits also contain insulin-like peptides,
including one known as polypeptide P, and alkaloids. It is likely
that several substances in bitter melon contribute to its blood
sugar-modifying effects. In human studies, bitter melon demonstrates
significant blood-sugar control after food intake and overall blood
sugar-lowering effects.
Momordica has also been found to be just as effective as
glibenclamide in reducing blood sugar levels (J Ethnopharmacol 2003;
88(1): 107-111). In fact, a large study at Harvard University
Medical School concluded that mormodica is one of the best natural
remedies for diabetes (Diabetes Care 2003; 26(4): 1277-1294). It
appears that mormodica contains compounds similar in structure to
insulin, which have the same effects in regulating blood sugar
levels. There is also evidence that mormodica can prevent the
release of excess glucose into the bloodstream from the liver (Am J
Health Syst Pharm 2003; 60(4): 356-359).
Fenugreek
Fenugreek (Trigonella
foenum-graecum) is a tall annual herb that is native to the
Mediterranean, Ukraine, India and China. The plant bears pods filled
with numerous light brown, diamond-shaped seeds that possess a sweet
maple aroma and are commonly used in cookery and flavouring.
Studies reveal that fenugreek helps regulate blood glucose. The
glucose-regulating, antidiabetic properties of fenugreek seed are
linked to a novel free amino acid, 4-hydroxyisoleucine. This
compound stimulates insulin secretion, thereby limiting the extent
to which blood glucose is elevated; by promoting insulin secretion
and inhibiting the rise of blood glucose, it helps stabilise blood
sugar and reduces body fat production. In one human study, 15g/day
fenugreek significantly reduced glucose levels after meals. Today
fenugreek shows value as an antidiabetic agent with potential for
weight control due to its 4-hydroxyisoleucine content. Some
supplements are capsules of powdered seed, while others are more
concentrated extracts standardized to 4-hydroxyisoleucine.
Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated the antidiabetic
properties of fenugreek seeds. The active ingredient responsible for
the antidiabetic properties of fenugreek is in the defatted portion
of the seed that contains the alkaloid trogonelline, nicotinic acid
and coumarin. Fenugreek contains six compounds that help regulate
blood sugar levels. Modern research shows that fenugreek seeds not
only lower blood glucose but reduce insulin levels, total
cholesterol and triglycerides, while increasing HDL (the good
cholesterol).
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