DIABETES - ALTERNATIVE TREATMENT - Part II

In our last blog we have discussed about the growing popularity and positive effects of various alternative medicines which worldwide are being accepted in prevention or controlling the sugar level in body. We also mentioned about various supplementary and unverified sources of alternative options which are available in market in the name of food supplements and many so called commercially available ‘herbal’ medicines. It will be unjustified for the vast subject of “Alternative medicines for Diabetes” if we leave the discussion only in one blog, hence we have planned to take this further and release further information for our valued readers in a series related to the subject.

The claims from some of commercially available herbal medicines for diabetes

There are many commercially available over-the-counter herbal medicines available in market which claim (not necessarily scientifically proven) that they can help in preventing the sugar levels which occurs immediately after an uncontrolled meal. These packaged herb formula’s also assert that:

• There herbal medicines regenerate insulin secreting cells in the pancreas and by having those herbal medicines it will gradually make a diabetic patients’ pancreas secrete more insulin.
• Some state that there medicines enhances natural insulin sensitivity and reduce insulin resistance
• Those commercially available herbal medicines also proclaim that they have tendency to control the cravings in a person for sugar and carbohydrates in natural manner and there medicines can thus assist in weight loss
• Such herbal solutions being sold commercially also state that due to composition of some herbs they behave like antioxidants and thus help in preventing any damage to the insulin generating cells of pancreas

What is the truth?

Well, as a medical practitioner I never advocate such over-the-counter herbal or in-fact any kind of treatment. The original and genuinely available products these days are lost due to high commercialization and only profit making mindset. Medicine as a profession has huge responsibility, of course the economical-viability of any practice has to be considered but only-profit making should never be the criteria.

Anyways, staying aligned with the subject; I must admit that patients instead of only looking for fast alternate medicine systems to deal with diabetes should first learn about diabetes and what exactly is happening in there body systems.

If you are following my blog by now you would have learnt that in diabetes the excess glucose in the blood damages various organs and parts of our body. Most of the damages are irreversible and severely limit the quality of life. It is observed that, there is an instant surge in the blood sugar level immediately after meals. The level may come down after 2-3 hours but during these hours some damage may have occurred by the excess sugar. Glucose in the blood reacts with proteins in the body to produce compounds called Advanced Glycosylation End products, or AGE’s, it is these AGEs that damage the various organs of our body. 

So, to begin with never ignore high glucose levels even for a moment. It will show no or almost negligible symptoms but will cause severe and irreversible damage over the course of time.

Secondly, understand that any alternate medicine system or any system which claims for immediate solution to diabetes, be assure that the system will be definitely not effective.

Now, the obvious question in your mind is which treatment to follow?

Look at the available alternative options you have: acupuncture, herbal food options, supplementary herbal medicines formed by adulterating herbal remedies with synthetic drugs or dietary supplements.

In general, Ayurvedic medicine is now a widely accepted form of treatment of diabetes even in USA and European countries. There are many misguided and misunderstood practices preached by unauthorized ayurvedic practitioners. Ayurveda is a vast subject and has various forms of treatment in different medical ailments including surgical treatments. However, not all road-side sellers of Jadi-buti in their tents should be considered ayurvedic.

One of the oldest known ayurvedic texts is Charaka Samhita (Compendium of Charaka) from 600 B. C., which compiles Ayurvedic medical knowledge. Diabetes symptoms are described in the chapter Prameh, which deals with urinary conditions. Such patients were grouped into two forms, which correspond exactly to the modern WHO classification of type-1 and type-2 diabetes. As per Charaka Samhita, the first group is categorized as Type 1 form which includes slim and younger patients too whereas the second group consisted of middle-aged and obese ones who ate large amounts of good food and were physically not very active. The recommended treatment as per the Ayurveda was “walking for many hours” - a very modern advice indeed.

We shall cover the vast possibilities of Ayurveda in our next in-series article.

The other best alternative treatment I suggest to my patients is: Yoga or basically any form of physical exercise suitable to the age and existing health levels. This too we will like to cover in the upcoming series of Alternative Treatment for Diabetes. Keep in tune till next week. 

We at Grass-Diabetes.com believe in PREVENTION rather than CURE and that’s why combining the available medical databases and our medical research we have developed this portal which we certainly believe to be a disruptive technology. A technology which can calculate the risk of type 2 diabetes by analyzing your eating habits, your lifestyle and your genetic history of diabetes. Depending upon your risk, the same risk report from Grass-Diabetes.com will also generate preventive solutions in form of herbal and kitchen recipes. The dietary suggestions given by GRASS-DIABETES.com are derived from proper research which is presented in an easy to use format of web-portal.

Look forward to hearing from you.

Best regards,

Dr. MS Singhal - Grass-Diabetes.com  

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