Diabetes mellitus usually results from the production of insufficient amounts of insulin by the pancreas. Normally, the food we eat is converted into glucose and used or stored by the body with little problem. With diabetes, something goes wrong. The pancreas either stops producing insulin, the hormone secreted in response to increases in blood sugar, or produces too much which leads to insulin resistance. Either way, the concentration of blood sugar skyrockets upward. Symptoms of diabetes include frequent urination, abnormal thirst, weakness, fatigue, and unusual hunger.
An overnight fasting blood glucose concentration greater than 140 mg/dl on at least two occasions or greater than 200 mg/dl two hours following a 75gram glucose challenge are considered diagnostic of diabetes. Various over-the-counter devices are available to give you feedback on your condition by analyzing the sugar content from a drop of blood. A blood test known as “hemoglobin A1c” can estimate blood sugar control for the past three to four months.
Diabetes mellitus is generally divided into two categories: type I and type II. Type I diabetes occurs mostly in children or young adults and requires insulin. In this case, the beta cells of the pancreas responsible for producing and secreting insulin have been damaged. The exact cause is usually unknown but heredity may predispose to injury from free radicals, viruses, or autoimmune antibody reactions.
Type II diabetes usually occurs later in life and does not normally require insulin. Obesity is a major factor in type II diabetes. Diet and exercise often controls type II diabetes. Often, type II diabetics lose the sensation to detect sweets, which makes dietary compliance more difficult. If undiagnosed or untreated, high blood sugar can lead to loss of vision, frequent infections, slow healing, nerve damage, infections, poor circulation, and kidney and heart problems.
Royal Recommendations for Treatment and Prevention
1. Eat smaller meals more frequently. Less glucose from the diet requires less insulin and results in more constant blood sugar levels. If you already take insulin, keep something sweet on hand (like orange juice, a candy bar, or mints) in case symptoms of low blood sugar occur. Symptoms include clammy skin, fluttering in the chest, hunger, and numbness in the mouth.
2. Avoid white flour products, refined sugar products, salt, alcohol, and unsaturated fatty acids in fish oils as these act to elevate the blood sugar. Proteins should ideally be obtained from a vegetable source. (See “Allergy—Foods.”)
3. A high-carbohydrate, high-fiber diet reduces the need for insulin and also lowers the fat levels in the blood. This means increasing your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, and grains. Oat bran, guar gum, pectin, and psyllium husk are also good sources of fiber to improve glucose tolerance and increase excretion of fat. (See “Constipation.”)
4. Other foods that help normalize blood sugar include berries, bitter melon, brewer’s yeast, dairy products (especially cheese), egg yolks, fish, garlic, onion, sauerkraut, soybeans, and vegetables. A low protein diet consisting of less than 40 gram of protein each day is recommended if kidney disease is present.
5. You can cut the fat in your diet by following a dietary regimen espousing the principles of the Pritikin Diet. This means eating a diet that is 70% complex carbohydrates, 20% proteins, and 10% fats. By adhering to this regimen, you can eat as much as you want as long as you eat the right foods. Any reduction in fat is going to help your diabetes and your overall health.
6. Increase your activity level. A brisk walk that increases the heart rate by approximately 10 beats will improve circulation to the body organs. Do this for 20-30 minutes at least three times weekly. Exercise helps to normalize body weight and reduce insulin resistance.
7. Reducing your stress levels by meditation, stretching, auto-suggestion tapes, or breathing exercises can help you to feel more relaxed and peaceful. (See “Stress.”) You can stop and deep breathe anywhere. Do this by closing your eyes and slowly inhaling for 10 to 20 seconds. Use your diaphragm by allowing your stomach to expand outward with each inhalation. Hold your breath for 10 to 20 seconds. Then, exhale by forcing your stomach inward for 10 to 20 seconds. With each breath, allow your shoulder to droop, you jaw to drop and your body to relax. Repeat this three times or whenever you begin to feel stress building.
8. Check your thyroid function. (See “Hypothyroidism.”) In diabetes, the body’s cells inefficiently absorb the glucose necessary for the formation of active thyroid. Evaluate thyroid function by measuring your basal body temperature. This is done by placing a thermometer under your arm for approximately 10 minutes before arising from bed on two consecutive days. For menstruating women, this is best done at the beginning of the menstrual cycle. The average basal body temperature should be greater than 97.8 degrees. If not, a trial of natural thyroid should be considered.
9. Get your hormone levels checked. This includes estradiol, testosterone, and DHEA. High estrogen levels can produce signs of diabetes whereas testosterone can help promote more efficient blood sugar metabolism. DHEA, an adrenal hormone precursor and marker of degenerative disease, is often low in diabetics. Natural hormones are available from plants, without the side effects of synthetic medicines, and can help tonify the blood vessels.
10. Consider an evaluation for free radical damage from environmental pollutants such as lead, aluminum, and cadmium. (See “Chelation Therapy.”) Mercury should also be evaluated if you have amalgam fillings in your teeth. If elevated, heavy metal detoxification therapy is indicated.
11. Heart rate variability testing, an assessment of heart rhythm, can reveal an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system regulates our subconscious bodily functions such as hormone production. An imbalance in the ANS can now be treated with non-cognitive biofeedback (i.e., recycling of heart rate variations).
12. The antioxidant vitamins A and C help to neutralize the effect of free radical damage. Vitamin E can help to reduce insulin requirements. B-vitamins (particularly B1 and B6) are also essential. Vitamin B12 injections may be helpful if numbness in the extremities is present. The amino acid L-Carnitine has beneficial action on lowering fats (particularly triglycerides, a storage form of fat). Lecithin can help reduce blood fats. Acidophilus and garlic can help reducea diabetic’s tendency to have yeast infections. Coconut oil, a source of saturated fatty acids needed for the production of thyroid hormone, can help to normalize metabolic rate and, in turn, provide energy to stabilize blood sugar. The mineral chromium is an essential component of glucose tolerance factor and helps to stabilize blood sugar. The mineral magnesium helps to improve elasticity of vessels; manganese is an important cofactor in key enzymes of glucose metabolism; potassium enhances insulin sensitivity and secretion; and zinc is involved in virtually all aspects of insulin metabolism. Enzyme supplements with meals can help facilitate proper digestion.
13. Herbs known to be helpful for this condition are blueberry, buchu, dandelion, fenugreek, goldenseal, and uva ursi. In addition, huckleberry helps to promote insulin production and a tea made of ginseng is believed to lower the blood sugar level. The spices cinnamon and turmeric (used often in curry dishes) enhance insulin activity as well. Pterocarpus marsupium, a botanical medicine used in India, has been shown to regenerate functional pancreatic beta cells.
14. Homeopathic remedies to consider include: Arsenicum Album (if patient is restless, tends to worry excessively, and has burning pains), Lycopodium (works best in thin, weak patients who tend to bloat easily and produce excess gas), Natrum Sulphuricum (if worse during damp weather), Phaseolus (if heart palpitations, and weak, rapid pulse are also present), Phosphoricum Acidum (if mental depression results in physical exhaustion), Secale Cornutum (if there is coldness and numbness in the extremities), Syzygium (helps reduce sugar in urine and promote healing of skin ulcers), and Uranium Nitricum (a specific for diabetes). Arsenicum, Lycopodium, and Natrum Sulphuricum can all be used in medium to high potency (>100X) while the others are best in low (e.g., 3X, 6X, 12X) to medium (e.g., 24X, 30X, 60X) potencies.
To learn more about healing and health optimizing therapies, go to www.NewHopeMedical.org or call NEW HOPE MEDICAL CENTER at (702) 476-0000 (direct line) or toll free (866) HEAL-NOW!