Herbal Cures for Diabetes Treatments

Herbal cures for diabetes treatments are shown effective in tests. However, one must include exercise and good diet to prevent and/or reverse this disease. To help normalize blood sugar levels, consider taking one or more of these herbs.

*Bilberry : reports weak anti-diabetic activity and lowers blood sugar levels consistently by 26% in rats. It's a common constituent in "anti-diabetic" teas.

*Cinnamon: increases sugar metabolism in rodent fat cells 20X according to Diabetes Care. Researchers found less than one-half teaspoon of cinnamon daily for 40 days significantly dropped blood sugar levels in 60 study participants with Type II diabetes.

*Citrus aurantium: or orange bitters, stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, thus increasing metabolism and lowering appetite.

*Devil's Claw: contains insulin-like substances but is still under investigation. Five drops of tincture on the tongue can help stop sugar cravings.

*Ginseng root:Korean and American ginseng has been studied and used to treat infections and diabetes, usually up to three months with repeated courses. One study showed significant reduction in post-prandial (after eating) glucose versus placebo in Type II diabetes.

*Green tea: helps increase metabolism and reduce chronic disease. It significantly reduces food intake, body weight, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. In one study, green tea increased insulin activity almost 15-fold, an effect of the active ingredient, EGCG.

*Gymnema sylvestre: destroys sugar taste and is often promoted as a weight-loss appetite suppressant. Several small placebo-controlled trials show gymnema extracts lower blood sugar levels by enhancing the action of insulin. Animal studies show gymnema can double the number of insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and bring blood sugar levels to normal. Research findings also indicate gymnema can improve blood sugar control so that smaller doses of oral diabetes drugs are needed. Several human trials clearly show quite a significant improvement in blood sugar levels with gymnema.

Milk Thistle: cleanses the liver which is important in diabetes. In doses over 1,500 mg per day, loose stools as a result of increased bile flow and secretion can occur. This desired effect makes it the herb of choice for any liver-related diseases, including liver toxicity associated with acetaminophen, anti-psychotics, statins and alcohol.

Herbal Cures
Look for these herbs at health food stores. However, caution is recommended to choosing good products. Your local store can guide you or look for GMP on labels. There are many quality companies producing excellent products for herbal cures, for all diseases, including diabetes treatments.

Related articles:
Risks in Letting the FDA Regulate Herbs

Sources:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative and Health
Reader's Digest
Michael Cutler, M.D., Hueytown, Alabama

Article for information purposes only. Not intended as replacement for medical care.

Herbal Cures for Diabetes Treatments copyright 2010