Diabetes: Lower the risk with natural remedies

Diabetes is fast becoming a big problem for many people in the UK. As I have written before in previous e-alerts, it is estimated that more than two million people are known to have diabetes. And there are an estimated one million people who dont even know they have it.

Since this is such an important topic, I will be spending the next two days on diabetes and ways you can lower your risk of developing this condition.

The good news is that according to a new study, educating high-risk individuals about diabetes prevention really does help them lower their risk.

Lifestyle education can lower your risk by 50%
Lifestyle education -- generally aimed at informing people about diet and exercise -- is a commonly accepted method of preventing and treating type 2 diabetes, yet few researchers have conducted formal research on its effectiveness.

Type 2 diabetes usually appears in middle-aged or elderly people and mainly develops because the body no longer responds normally to its own insulin, and/or that the body does not produce enough insulin.

People who are overweight are particularly likely to develop type 2 diabetes. It tends to run in families and is more common in Asian and African-Caribbean communities.

To fill the gap in research, leading authors Drs Kazue Yamaoka and Toshiro Tango, of the National Institute of Public Health, in Japan identified and evaluated 13 studies that met their criteria for inclusion. Study participants were adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes, as determined by their blood glucose levels.

However, not all of the lifestyle interventions were the same in all the studies examined. For example, in one study those in the intervention group received diet counselling from a dietician and physical activity counselling from a physiotherapist. In another, participants were put on a low-fat, high-fibre diet and engaged in regular exercise during a one-month stay at a wellness centre.

Still across all of the studies, men and women who participated in the lifestyle education intervention had lower glucose levels during the follow-ups one year later.

Whats more, Yamaoka and Tango discovered that the patients risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes reduced by 50 percent compared to those who did not participate in the intervention.

Our study provides evidence of a relationship between lifestyle education in high-risk subjects and the prevention of type 2 diabetes, write the study authors.

Considering the poor quality of life of diabetic patients, they conclude, preventing the development of this disease is important, and much more attention should be paid to lifestyle education.
According to the NHS the two best lifestyle changes you can make to prevent diabetes is to eat a healthy diet and take regular exercise.

These natural remedies can successfully reduce your blood sugar levels
However, if you already have type 2 diabetes, there are a few supplements that can help in addition to lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

*Goat's rue: This plant has a chemical structure similar to the conventional diabetes drug metformin and works in much the same way but without the side effects. It restores insulin sensitivity in your cells and boosts their ability to take up glucose from your blood and use it more efficiently. In addition, animal studies have found that it can promote weight loss.
*Vanadium: This is a rare mineral found in fish and shellfish. The biologically active form of vanadium is called vanadyl sulphate, which has been found to make cells more sensitive to the actions of insulin and assists in the breakdown of sugar.
*Gymnema sylvestre: This plant has been traditionally used in Ayurvedic (ancient Indian) medicine in the fight against diabetes and now modern research findings are confirming its benefits for sufferers of the disease. One way gymnema is thought to work is by protecting the pancreas against free-radical damage, allowing it to produce insulin unhindered.

It is vital that you keep your doctor fully informed of any natural remedies you decide to take, as your blood sugar levels need to be closely monitored. It is extremely important that you do not stop taking any medication without consulting your doctor.