herbs for diabetes

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Blood sugar (high)

General characteristics

High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is defined as a high concentration of sugar (glucose) in the blood.

Blood sugar levels normally fluctuate throughout the day in response to food intake, exercise and stressful situations but in good health, with a good diet and regular eating patterns the body has the ability to achieve overall blood sugar balance.

The blood will always contain sugar at any given moment as it is required by all body cells as fuel. The agent responsible for the normal passage of sugar from the blood into the cells is the pancreatic hormone insulin. When blood sugar concentrations are high, the pancreas secretes insulin into the blood and this causes the sugar to enter the cells, providing them with fuel. Insulin also causes the liver to store any excess glucose in the liver for later use if needed.

Diabetes mellitus type 2 (adult onset diabetes or non insulin dependent diabetes) occurs when insulin levels are chronically low or the cells themselves show a resistance to insulin. It is generally caused by consuming a diet consistently high in refined carbohydrates and sugar. A regular supply of sugary foods and carbohydrates forces the pancreas to work very hard and insulin supplies can eventually become low or exhausted. If insulin supply is consistently impaired, or the cells fail to respond to the presence of insulin then the blood sugar concentration will become dangerously high. This type of diabetes is common in the developed world where refined sugars and carbohydrates form a major part of many peoples diet. It can be controlled through dietary changes and careful monitoring of blood glucose levels.

Diabetes mellitus type 1 (also known as insulin dependent diabetes) arises from a complete lack of insulin because the pancreatic cells responsible for its secretion are damaged or destroyed. Orthodox treatment relies on the use of insulin replacement therapy.

Diet and lifestyle

Eat regular meals including breakfast, lunch and dinner and have foods on hand to snack on if required. Skipping meals will cause a drop in blood sugar initially and then a subsequent forced rise as the body mobilises itself to regain balance.

Eat dark green leafy vegetables every day or better still have a fresh juice of them, that way you get more.

All of these foods have a low glycemic index (GI) which produce a slow, steady rise in blood sugar after eating them and keep the appetite satisfied for longer,

fruit
vegetables
whole grains
nuts
lean meat
unsweetened dairy products
seeds and spouted seeds
seaweeds

Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

Use snacks like rice cakes, apple, banana, carrot sticks or nut and seed mixes.

Fibre is very well regarded for its ability to maintain healthy blood sugar balance. Eat plenty of vegetables in the form of soups, salads or as side dishes with a meal to provide plenty of fibre.

Eat whole grains with each meal and avoid white flour products which cause rapid and dramatic blood sugar rises. Start the day with a good homemade muesli or dark rye bread toast for instance. Use brown rice products and seek out the more unusual grains like spelt, millet and quinoa.

Baked potatoes or potatoes cooked in their skins and other starchy veg such as sweet potato and squashes are good carbohydrate sources.

Use buckwheat as a grain, as a flour or add to soups. Barley also has a good effect on the blood sugar levels, use as a grain or as a flour for baking.

Garlic and onions have a blood sugar balancing action as do peas, spinach, lettuce, olives, sweet potato, cabbage, artichoke, papaya and turnips so include plenty in your diet.

Avoid refined (hydrogenated) fats and foods containing them. Use butter instead of margarine.

Many diabetics achieve good success with their blood sugar balance by adopting a vegetarian diet.

Useful herbs

The following herbs can be used to lower blood sugar levels.... goats rue, fenugreek seed, sage, bilberry leaf, sumach, nettle, white horehound and alfalfa. Use equal quantities and consume a cupful before meals.

These herbs all have a bitter taste and have a positive effect on both the liver and pancreas..... dandelion root, artichoke leaves, yarrow, wild yam and fringe tree bark. Use all four as a tincture mix, 1 teaspoon in water before all meals.

The herb stevia is a very sweet tasting herb that is safe for diabetics to use as they would sugar. Stevia powder can be found at most good health food shops.

Use ginkgo tea or tincture to alleviate symptoms of diabetes that are caused by poor circulation.

Schizandra, astragalus, ashwagandha and siberian ginseng act as immune system regulators and tonics, gently lowering blood sugar and helping the body cope with stress.

Jambal (Syzygium cumini) is a specific for regulating blood sugar. Take up to 2g three times daily.

Turmeric and cinnamon have found to have positive results in improving diabetes.

For diabetes (type1 and 2) the herb Gymnema sylvestre has excellent results in many cases. It can also be used to block the desire for sugary foods and be helpful in pre-diabetic states.

Elderberries can help to protect the body from the inflammation and infection associated with diabetes.

Taking 5g of Psyllium husk before morning and midday meals has been shown to stabilise blood sugar levels and increase sensitivity to insulin. More info on the details here.

Neem leaves are very effective at lowering blood sugar and have a beneficial action on the pancreas too.

Juniper berries can be used to relieve the symptoms of diabetes and high blood sugar as they enhance the uptake of glucose from the blood into the cells. The berries also encourage insulin production in the pancreas. An old folk remedy survives of eating 4 whole juniper berries on the first day, then increase by 1 berry each day until a total of 15 berries are consumed daily. Then reverse back to 14 the next day, 13 the day after etc etc until you are back to 4 berries, then stop. All together around 3 weeks of eating the berries.

Natural healing

Take evening primrose capsules, a minimum of 500mg daily to help with many of the accompanying physical problems linked to diabetes.

Exercise lowers blood sugar. Engage in regular moderate exercise regimes such as walking and swimming.

Laughter, deep belly laughter lowers blood sugar!

Visit this very informative website written by someone who was diagnosed with diabetes and managed to stay off insulin.