Reduce Intake Of Refined Sugars
It might seem obvious, but its worth mentioning that eating more refined sugars is a big no-no if youre suffering from diabetes. Food and drinks which contain high levels of refined sugars can cause dangerous peaks in your blood sugar levels so its best to avoid them.
Fruit juices and sodas are often the worst sources of refined sugars. If you have a sweet tooth, you can swap out refined sugars for natural sources such as honey or maple syrup. These can still affect your blood sugar levels, although not as much as refined sugars, so they should be limited but dont need avoiding altogether.
Add honey to recipes to avoid using refined sugar
Using Acupuncture To Treat Type 2 Diabetes
Traditional Chinese Medicine treatment of diabetes has for a long time included acupuncture.
This ancient Eastern healing practice involves shoving tiny little needles into different parts of the body.
This is said to help clear up blocked energy channels which lead to a host of physical and mental health problems, that includes diabetes.
This is one of the common practices for treating diabetes in China, and as Traditional Chinese Medicine is becoming more widely accepted in the west, it is starting to grow more popular worldwide as well.
Eat Chromium And Magnesium
Micronutrient deficiencies are largely associated with high blood sugar levels. So, micronutrients like chromium and magnesium have a significant contribution to curbing the symptoms of diabetes.
Chromium enhances the metabolism process of carbs and fats. Its blood sugar lowering properties make it suitable for diabetics.
Magnesium also reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by keeping the blood sugar level balanced.
You should eat both chromium enriched foods like eggs, nuts, high-bran cereals, broccoli, whole grain products, and magnesium-enriched foods like fish, whole grains, bananas, and dark leafy greens.
You may also consider taking special teas, herbs and multivitamins that treat diabetes.
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Comparison With The Existing Literature
The effect of the most promising medicinal plants was similar to that of standard oral hypoglycaemic agents. In a meta-analysis, metformin monotherapy lowered HbA1c by 1.12% versus placebo. Metformin added to oral therapy lowered HbA1c by 0.95% versus placebo added to oral therapy . In another meta-analysis, metformin reduced FPG by 2.0 mmol/l . Other conventional hypoglycaemic medications have a smaller effect, for example sitagliptin lowers HbA1c by 0.94% and FPG by 1.2 mmol/l .
Several mechanisms of action explain the effect of medicinal plants. Firstly, many plant products contain gel-forming fibres which delay gastric emptying and interfere with glucose absorption from the intestinesfor example Aloe vera , Fenugreek and Psyllium . Secondly, some medicinal plants contain substances which inhibit enzymes involved in digestion of carbohydrates , such as nettle and the Chinese formula Jinqui Jiangtan . Third, others stimulate release of insulin these include Fenugreek seeds and Nigella sativa seeds . Fourth, some medicinal plants inhibit gluconeogenesis, including Nigella sativa . Fifth, some, such as nettle , mimic the effect of insulin by increasing peripheral uptake of glucose, while others such as Nigella sativa induce insulin sensitivity .
One Of The Best Cures For Diabetes
What if I told you that something as simple as flexing a group of your muscles and holding them flexed can cure type 2 diabetes?
You might be shaking your head.
But its true: isometric contractions, which involves contracting your muscles without moving them, are one of the simplest ways to make your body more receptive to removing sugar from the bloodstream.
This is because exercise has the same effect on cells as insulin .
Insulin, as we talked about earlier, pulls molecules of sugar out blood and brings them toward cells for absorption.
But with type 2 diabetes, cells resist the insulin, refusing to open up and receive the sugar.
Heres the cool thing: exercise stimulates something called the GLUT4 transporter which signals cells to open and receive energy, just like insulin, allowing sugar to be shuttled inside.
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The Best Natural Remedies For Managing Diabetes
Lets get the obvious recommendations for managing diabetes out of the way, because youve likely heard them ad nauseum: get regular exercise limit your intake of added sugars and processed food and drinks eat more veggies and fiber-rich whole grains drink more water eat smaller meals and manage stress.
If youre not following these recommendations to control blood sugar, do so immediately. But beyond these oft-repeated tips, there are specific medicinal, edible herbs that may help manage diabetes.
Here are some of the best natural remedies for type 2 diabetes, according to a 2018 update on natural compounds in the remedy of diabetes mellitus. The botanical herbs in the research show antidiabetic action.
Before we take a look at some of them, a quick medical disclaimer: Do not stop taking your diabetes medication. The information in this article is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
Cumin
Cumin both lowers blood glucose levels and protects beta cells. The high availability of this common spice and its safety profile with no reported toxicity also make it a better alternative in diabetes treatment, conclude the researchers, who add that both green and black cumin are effective.
Aloe vera
Nettle Leaf
Anacardium occidentale
Garlic oil
Garlic oil extract supplements may help improve insulin and glucose tolerance.
Oyster Mushroom
Resveratrol
Basil
Cinnamon
Soybeans
Figs
Black seed
Panax ginseng
Pomegranates
Manage Your Carb Intake
Your carb intake strongly influences your blood sugar levels .
Your body breaks carbs down into sugars, mainly glucose. Then, insulin helps your body use and store it for energy.
When you eat too many carbs or have insulin-function problems, this process fails, and blood glucose levels can rise.
Thats why the American Diabetes Association recommends that people with diabetes manage their carb intake by counting carbs and being aware of how many they need .
Some studies find that this can help you plan your meals appropriately, further improving blood sugar management (
Foods that are high in fiber include:
- vegetables
- legumes
- whole grains
The recommended daily intake of fiber is about 25 grams for women and 35 grams for men. Thats about 14 grams for every 1,000 calories .
Summary
Eating plenty of fiber can aid blood sugar management. Soluble dietary fiber appears to be more effective than insoluble fiber for this purpose.
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Monitor Your Carbohydrate Intake
Carbohydrates are broken down into sugars, and insulin sends the sugars to cells. Having too many carbs hinders this process, leaving room for blood sugar to increase.
You can count the number of carbohydrates you consume or use a food exchange system to keep your carb intake balanced.
Following such methods may also help you in planning your daily meals, which will improve blood sugar control.
What Causes Type 2 Diabetes
There are actually two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when the immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas and destroys the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin. While only a fraction of Americans have type 1 diabetes, medical experts agree that type 2 diabetes has reached epidemic proportions.
With type 2 diabetes, the body stops using insulin properly and develops whats called insulin resistance. Under normal circumstances, insulin helps glucose in the bloodstream enter the bodys cells. But people with type 2 diabetes have a buildup of sugar in the bloodstream instead.
Although this prompts the beta cells in the pancreas to release more insulin, the increased demand damages the cells. Eventually, the pancreas can no longer make enough insulin to keep up. And this leads to higher and higher blood glucose levels.
If these high blood sugar levels arent considered elevated enough to warrant a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, a person may be said to have prediabetes. This pre-diagnosis is a warning that steps need to be taken to prevent progression to type 2 diabetes.
While simple lifestyle changes are usually enough to prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes, even type 2 diabetes itself can be reversed if its caught early enough. But if its allowed to advance, the disease becomes harder to control and requires both medication and insulin.
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Home Remedies To Manage Diabetes
Much thanks to our changing, unhealthy lifestyle, stress and lack of physical or mental exercise, world is now engulfed by a widespread disease known as diabetes like never before. This phenomenon is also observed to slowly deteriorate the overall health of a person, reducing his/ her life span.
Diabetes is a genetic as well as a lifestyle disease in which the blood sugar level is too high in a human body. Since it is a chronic disease and once affected, patients are usually on anti-diabetic medicines for life. Even though it is very difficult to completely stop taking the medication completely, here are some natural and Ayurvedic home remedies to help you keep your sugar levels in control naturally. But, do consult your Ayurveda physician before starting on any remedies listed below to avoid complications.
Effect Size On Fasting Plasma Glucose
Twenty-five reviews meta-analysed the reduction in FPG . All the remedies which produced clinically significant reductions in HbA1c also produced clinically and statistically significant reductions in FPG, with the exception of Astragalus membranaceus, which reduced FPG slightly less than the predetermined clinically significant threshold of 0.5 mmol/l. Nettle , Momordica charantia and sweet potato also all produced clinically significant reductions in FPG.
FIGURE 3. Effect of medicinal plants on Fasting Plasma Glucose . The red dotted line indicates the threshold for a clinically significant effect . The point indicates the effect size, and the line indicate the 95% confidence interval.
There were varying results in the five meta-analyses of cinnamon, but the largest and most recent showed a clinically significant reduction in FPG of 1.07 mmol/l . Other reviews also included patients with T1DM or pre-diabetes .
It can be stated with some certainty that ginger and tea extracts were ineffective for reducing FPG. Neither had a significant effect, and confidence intervals were tight.
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Indian Gooseberry Or Amla
Indian gooseberry or amla is one of the richest sources of vitamin C and helps your pancreas to produce optimum so that your blood glucose levels remain balanced.
How to use:
Consume raw amla every day
How Herbs And Supplements Can Help Type 1 Diabetes
As for Type 1 diabetes, the naturopathic goal is generally to reduce insulin requirement to a minimum while maintaining the best possible health, especially of the cardiovascular system. Common focuses are vigilant control of blood sugar levels and attention to diet, exercise, and stress reduction.
That means maintaining a healthy weight eating small, frequent meals to keep sugars in a healthy range limiting refined sugars and starches and chemically altered fats and eating increased levels of omega-3 rich foods and non-starchy vegetables .
As for herbs and supplements, practitioners we spoke with recommended people with T1D explore the above-mentioned herbs and the following supplements with your naturopath, never alone but in combination with appropriate medicines:
Chromium. A trace element that plays a role in blood sugar regulation by working with insulin to help transport glucose into cells. Recommended dose: up to 1,000 micrograms of GTF chromium daily.
Alpha lipoic acid . An antioxidant, ALA can enhance the uptake of glucose into cells and help inhibit glycosylation , as well as help promote and maintain eye health and potentially prevent and treat diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Recommended dose: 100 mg per day.
Coenzyme Q10. An antioxidant that may help maintain heart health. Recommended dose: 60-100 mg in a softgel form with your largest meal of the day.
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Data Extraction And Quality Assessment
Two reviewers independently extracted relevant data using a data extraction form created on Microsoft Excel, and any discrepancies were checked by a third reviewer. Where a review reported several patient groups and/or outcomes, we extracted the number of trials and participants which matched our inclusion criteria and which reported each relevant outcome . When results were presented separately for different types of control, we preferentially chose the comparison against placebo , in order to gauge the effect size of the medicinal plant itself. Where HbA1c results were reported in mmol/mol, they were multiplied by the conversion factor 0.09148 to give the equivalent as a percentage . Where FPG results were presented as mg/dL, they were divided by 18 to convert to mmol/L. For each review we extracted the number of trials which had reported on adverse effects, and the number of these which reported any specific adverse effects.
Two reviewers independently appraised the quality of the studies using the AMSTAR-2 tool and discrepancies were resolved by discussion with a third reviewer.
Alternative Or Complementary Treatments
Acupunctureis a procedure where a practitioner inserts very thin needles into specific points on your skin. Some scientists say that acupuncture triggers the release of the body’s natural painkillers. Acupuncture has been shown to offer relief from chronic pain and is sometimes used by people with neuropathy, the painful nerve damage that can happen with diabetes.
Biofeedback is a technique that helps you become more aware of — and learn to deal with — your body’s response to pain. This therapy emphasizes relaxation and stress-reduction techniques.
Guided imagery is a relaxation technique that some professionals who use biofeedback also practice. With guided imagery, you’ll think of peaceful mental images, such as ocean waves, or perhaps images of controlling or curing your disease. People using this technique say these positive images can ease their condition.
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Natural Diabetes Remedies Explained
The first natural remedy for type 2 diabetes I want to mention involves, you guessed it, exercise. Exercise is perhaps the best way to control or reverse type 2 diabetes.
But the type of exercise, really doesnt have to be grueling physical activity. My physical activity and natural remedy of choice is Bikram Yoga.
I have heard countless stories of people using Bikram Yoga to control type 2 diabetes. Bikram is different than other types of yoga. Many refer to it as hot yoga.
Two reasons why I like Bikram Yoga are because it helps with muscle tone and flexibility. I have also seen people reduce their required daily insulin units as a result of Bikram Yoga. And Ive seen people lose weight and find better blood sugar control came almost effortlessly. Many swear by it.
Yoga is different. Plus its fun. Im not a runner, and I find it quite boring. If you like running, more power to you. But if you are having trouble being consistent with an exercise, you might want to give Bikram Yoga a try. There may be some soreness that may take some getting used to at first. But you might want to give it a try and hang in there. The soreness goes away with time. Youll thank me later.
The next natural remedy for type 2 diabetes, is Alfalfa. The research has shown that this herb can help to control blood sugar. The leaves of this herb have been shown to be quite powerful. Alfalfa can also be found in other formulations such as the sprouts, seeds, or in tablet form.
Positive Effects On Autoimmune Conditions
There continues to be research into a range of micronutrients, supplements and functional foods and their effect on diabetes management and their link with causing diabetes. This includes, for example, vitamin B3, chromium, magnesium, anti-oxidants, vitamin D, zinc, caffeine, cinnamon, chilli, karela and methi. There’s no evidence that any of these can prevent or cause diabetes.
Many herbal and complementary therapies sold in shops have not been tested and they are not regulated in the same way as prescribed medications.
If you are taking any herbal or complementary remedies, its important that you speak to your healthcare team and continue to take your diabetes medication. There may be risks associated with taking supplements, because they affect the way your diabetes medications work, and make diabetes complications worse.
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Best Natural Remedies For Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is caused by high blood sugar levels in the body. As soon as youre diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your doctor will provide you with medications, blood sugar supplements and a diet to follow. You might also need insulin injection depending on your condition.
You must abide by the doctors prescription, but you should also consider some natural remedies to help you make the best of the medications and treatments suggested by your doctor.
While there is no cure for diabetes, there are several options to choose from as you look for natural ways to treat your condition.
Given the large number of choices, selecting the most suitable natural remedies might be quite perplexing to you. Weve enlisted some of the best natural remedies for type 2 diabetes to make things easier.
How To Treat Diabetes Naturally
Diabetes is among the most common disorders in the world today. Despite various researches done and precautions taken, one cannot predict who will suffer from diabetes. Depending on the type and severity, every diabetic patient should be given medications.
Here are a few natural remedies that can be helpful in reducing the sugar levels in a diabetic patient.
Fig Leaves- Figs leaves are commonly used in treating diabetes. They are believed to have anti-diabetic properties that help in reducing the sugar levels in the blood. Fig leaves can be directly chewed on an empty stomach, or the leaves can be boiled in water and the water can be drunk like tea. Done on a regular basis, the need for insulin gets reduced.
Fenugreek- Fenugreek seeds are rich in sugar-lowering properties. Even the leaves of this plant can be made as curry and consumed regularly. Fenugreek helps to reduce the insulin dependency when taken at regular intervals. A teaspoon-full of seeds should be soaked in a glass of water overnight and the water along with the seeds should be drunk on an empty stomach. No foods or medications should be taken for the next 30 minutes after consuming the water. This treatment is recommended for 2 3 times per week.
Olive Oil- Olive oil is believed to have beneficiary effects such as reducing the cholesterol and triglycerides level in the blood. It also helps to reduce blood sugar level. Cooking all foods with edible olive oil brings about this effect in the long run.
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