Diabetes: Dont Let Type-2 Diabetes Damage Your Health!

Diabetes, and in particular adult onset or Type-2 diabetes, has reached epidemic proportions in the western world. In the UK, around 1.6 million people have been diagnosed with diabetes and more than 1.2 million of these have Type-2. But since this kind of diabetes often has few symptoms in the early stages, it is estimated that the same number again have the disease but have not yet been diagnosed, bringing the total number of diabetes sufferers nearer to three million, or one person in 20.

Prevention is always better than cure
Type-2 diabetes usually comes on in later life and involves factors that interfere with insulins effectiveness in the body. This is often linked to poor diet, obesity and lack of exercise. Insulin moves glucose out of the bloodstream and into your muscle cells, but if blood sugar levels are constantly boosted by coffee and sweet or starchy snacks, insulin is constantly being produced in an attempt to deal with it. Under this relentless pressure, either the system that signals the pancreas to produce insulin breaks down, or the body tissues become less responsive to insulin a condition called insulin resistance.

A study in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that simple lifestyle changes can slash your risk of developing Type-2 diabetes by half (NEJM 2002; 346: 393-403). This means losing weight, adopting a healthy low carbohydrate diet and exercising regularly.

Many doctors dont know about safe natural alternatives to the heavily prescribed drugs
Your doctor will probably prescribe a sulphonylurea drug such as gliclazide or glibenclamide, that stimulates the pancreas to produce more insulin, and a drug such as metformin to improve the way the body metabolises sugar. According to one study, about 15 to 20 per cent of people newly diagnosed with Type-2 diabetes fail to respond to sulphonyurea drugs and in a further five per cent of people, these drugs stop working altogether after a time (The Indian Practitioner 1999; 52(9): 595-597).

The drugs dont work for up to a quarter of patients and when they do the side-effects are alarming
Not only are they often ineffective, but sulphonylurea drugs are also a major cause of drug-induced hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), requiring admittance to hospital. Other nasty side-effects include: a skin rash and digestive problems, dizziness and headaches. Metformin (in the biguanide class of drugs) has many side-effects including; loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea (BMA New Guide to Medicines and Drugs. Dorling Kindersley 2001).

The good news is that Type-2 diabetes can be successfully managed without drugs
Before you start a supplement programme or discontinuing any medications you are currently taking, you should consult your doctor. Researchers have identified several safe and effective natural alternatives to drugs. Four of the most promising of these are described below:

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) contains a compound called inulin (not to be confused with the hormone insulin), which traps glucose molecules and prevents them from reaching high concentrations in the bloodstream. Studies have shown that dandelion extracts have been found to reduce blood sugar levels by as much as 20 per cent in as little as two hours (J Ethnopharmacol 2001; 75(2-3): 181-184).

Dandelion also acts directly on the pancreas to increase insulin production. When researchers compared dandelion extract with the diabetes drug glibenclamide, they found that both were equally effective at stimulating insulin production. More importantly, dandelion does not cause glibenclamides side-effects of headaches, diarrhoea, skin rash and weight gain (Phytother Res 2004; 18(1): 73-77). The recommended dosage is 500 mg of dandelion extract, one to three times a day.

Mormodica (Mormodica chirantia), or bitter melon, 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). Take a 750 mg capsule of standardised mormodica extract (available as Karela Extract 7) one to three times a day.

Gymnema sylvestre is another herb whose traditional use in treating diabetes has been backed up by recent medical research. Scientists think its active ingredients called 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 (J Vet Med Sci 1997; 59: 24551).
The recommended dosage is two 200 mg capsules a day.

Thiamine (vitamin B1) boosts the activity of an enzyme called transketolase, which drives the breakdown of glucose. Too little thiamine means that high glucose levels build up in the tissues, causing a condition called reactive oxidative stress, which leads to diabetes-related problems such as neuropathy (nerve damage) and vision loss. A new, fat-soluble form of thiamine, called benfotiamine, is available in the UK which can get to work much faster than ordinary water-soluble supplements and boosts transketolase activity by an amazing 300 to 400 per cent (Nat Med 2003; 9(3): 294-99). Start by taking 200 mg of benfotiamine a day and gradually increase to a maximum of 600 mg per day if needed.

If you are diabetic and currently taking prescribed medication, it is important that you should check with your doctor before starting any of the above supplements, as they could interact with drugs to push your blood sugar down dangerously low. Although these remedies have a good safety record, its sensible to avoid them if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.