Natural Diabetes Treatment

In addition to being the driving force behind type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance is also part and parcel of a condition called metabolic syndrome (formerly syndrome X).

Identified in the mid-1980s by Stanford University researcher Gerald Reaven, MD, metabolic syndrome is a cluster of disorders that includes obesity (particularly abdominal obesity), high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol (often referred to as “good” cholesterol, since it ushers excess cholesterol out of the body), and increased risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Dr. Reaven, observing that these seemingly unrelated disorders cropped up so often in the same individuals, determined that the one underlying constant was insulin resistance.

Though the natural treatments for diabetes that I often write about are geared toward people who are already managing diabetes, it is good to know that your efforts at beating diabetes can also help protect against hypertension, heart disease, and obesity.

For more information about metabolic syndrome (syndrome X), insulin resistance, and how to manage diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

If you or someone you care about is living with diabetes, you should learn all you can about niacinamide.  Also called nicotinamide, it’s a form of vitamin B3 that has been shown to preserve beta cell function when administered in the early stages of type 1 diabetes. It does this by inhibiting free radical production and the activity of PARP, an enzyme that depletes cellular energy stores.

A meta-analysis of 10 controlled clinical trials demonstrated significant improvements in insulin production in type 1 diabetics who received niacinamide for up to five years, compared to those on placebo. Although some studies have been negative—the European Nicotinamide Diabetes Intervention Trial (ENDIT) showed no benefits—I believe that enough positive research exists to warrant a trial of niacinamide in early onset type 1 diabetes.

For more information on managing diabetes and natural treatments for diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

At the Whitaker Wellness Institute, we routinely prescribe high doses of water- and fat-soluble vitamins and minerals to virtually all of our patients. However, for our patients living with diabetes, we bump up those amounts by at least 50 percent. The diabetic condition causes increased urination and essentially acts as a diuretic, washing away magnesium, zinc, folic acid, and other vital nutrients from the body. Supplementing with high levels of these vitamins and minerals helps compensate for nutritional deficiencies and protect against diabetic complications.

Take Roxann, a type 2 diabetic who had been on insulin for 16 years. She had retinopathy, angina, high blood pressure, a history of two heart attacks, and an open ulcer on her foot that refused to heal. But the most debilitating of her problems was neuropathy. Nerve damage left her with virtually no sensation in her feet, and she could barely get around on her own.

After hitting rock bottom, Roxann came to my clinic and started on a comprehensive nutritional regimen that included high doses of antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and targeted nutrients and herbs known to help control blood sugar. Given the severity of Roxann’s condition, she also underwent a course of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Within three days, the feeling began to return to Roxann’s feet. She had more energy, less pain, and a renewed sense of hope. By the end of her second week at the clinic, she was walking normally. In fact, she and her daughter did something that would have been unthinkable just three weeks before: They spent the next couple of days strolling around and sightseeing in southern California.

If you’re living with diabetes and are seeing a conventional doctor, ask this question: “Doctor, I understand that diabetes causes losses of many micronutrients in the urine. Would it be wise for me to be on a nutrient supplement regimen to counteract those losses?”

If your doctor says it’s not needed or gives you some garbage about lack of science or some other nonsense, run—don’t walk—to a physician with a different attitude toward nutritional supplementation and other natural diabetes treatments. You just might save yourself a whole lot of suffering.

For more information on treating diabetes or key supplements for diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

The key to the treating diabetes is twofold. First, you need to control blood sugar levels. Equally important, you must prevent diabetes complications.

While conventional physicians do attempt to stave off diabetes complications by helping patients maintain blood sugar levels that are in the normal range, they ignore the solid scientific research that supports the aggressive use of specific nutritional supplements for protection against the ravages of diabetes. This is one of the most obvious and inexcusable blind spots of conventional medicine.

Diabetes is a nutritionally wasting disease. Massive amounts of nutrients are lost as the kidneys rid the body of excess glucose by increasing urination, so the first step is replacement of these lost nutrients.

Among the most significant losses are the B-complex vitamins, and many people with diabetes have suboptimal cellular levels of these vital nutrients. Vitamins B6, B12, and biotin improve insulin sensitivity and also help prevent diabetes complications, particularly neuropathy, which is present in almost half of all people with diabetes. Supplementation is imperative, with recommended doses of:

• 75 mg vitamin B6,
• 150 mcg of B12,
• 300 mcg of biotin, and
• an array of other B-complex vitamins.

People with diabetes also tend to have low levels of magnesium, and those with the lowest levels are most likely to have diabetic retinopathy and other eye problems. For this reason, anyone trying to manage diabetes should also take a minimum of 500 mg of magnesium per day, balanced with 1,000 mg of calcium.

For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

One of the most effective natural treatments for diabetes is vanadium. This unique trace mineral works to lower blood sugar by mimicking insulin and improving the cells’ sensitivity to insulin.

Supplementation with vanadyl sulfate and other vanadium compounds markedly lowers fasting glucose and improves other measures of diabetes. In a number of animal studies, this mineral has actually eliminated diabetes.

Human studies, although not as numerous, are also compelling. In a landmark study, eight people with type 2 diabetes receiving 50 mg of vanadyl sulfate twice a day for four weeks, followed by a placebo for four weeks, were found to have a 20 percent reduction in average fasting blood sugar, which lasted well into the placebo period after the mineral was discontinued. The only reported adverse effect was minor gastrointestinal (GI) distress during the first few days of the study.

Vanadium is quite safe, even at doses of up to 400 mg per day. Don’t be surprised if you hear rumors to the contrary. According to Dr. John McNeill, one of the world’s leading experts on vanadium, these unfounded precautions are based on toxicity studies done by a single researcher and have never been replicated by anyone else.  

Many physicians have utilized vanadyl sulfate with thousands of people living with diabetes in doses of 100–150 mg per day with remarkable success and absolutely no adverse reactions, save slight GI distress in a few individuals.

Vanadium is just one of the many natural diabetes treatments. For additional natural treatments for diabetes or information on managing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Chromium is a trace mineral that improves the action of insulin and helps move glucose and other nutrients into the cells. Its therapeutic value was first discovered in the 1950s, when researchers isolated a previously unknown substance from pork kidney. When they gave this substance to laboratory rats with glucose intolerance (a pre-diabetic form of insulin resistance), it caused such significant improvements that they named it glucose tolerance factor.

This unique compound was found to improve the activity of insulin and facilitate the uptake of glucose into the cells. Research intensified, and in 1959, the active ingredient in glucose tolerance factor was identified: chromium.

Chromium doesn’t cause the body to make more insulin—it just helps make insulin work better. At least 15 well-controlled clinical trials examining the effects of supplemental chromium on patients living with diabetes, insulin resistance, and other blood sugar abnormalities have shown that this mineral improves glucose metabolism.

Chromium has also been demonstrated to facilitate weight loss. As you likely know, diabetes and weight are very closely connected. Maintaining an ideal weight greatly increases your chances of avoiding the disease and beating diabetes.  

For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

While type 2 diabetes can sneak up on you, there are three type 2 diabetes symptoms you should be aware of:

• Diabetes and weight go hand-in-hand. The vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, with the distribution of weight most commonly in the abdominal area. Excess weight is also a known factor in insulin resistance.
• Most people with type-2 diabetes are inactive. Exercise enhances insulin sensitivity and makes it easier to control blood sugar.
• The average newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes patient is middle-aged. Once we hit our forties, our lifestyle indiscretions are no longer protected by the resilience of youth. Years of an unhealthy diet, extra pounds, and lack of exercise begin to take their toll and we succumb to degenerative diseases—not only diabetes but also other diseases of aging, such as heart disease, blood pressure concerns, and arthritis. 

For more information on type 2 diabetes symptoms, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

Type 2 diabetes, sometimes referred to as non-insulin-dependent diabetes or adult-onset diabetes, is marked by elevated blood glucose levels. 

The problem starts at the insulin receptor sites on the cells’ surfaces—they simply won’t open up to let in glucose and other nutrients, regardless how much insulin is knocking at the door. This is a condition known as insulin resistance or insulin insensitivity, and is at the root of 90 percent of all diagnoses of diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes symptoms can sneak up on you. The actual disease is usually discovered during routine blood tests when a high fasting blood glucose reading, usually in the 150 to 300 mg/dL range, is noted.

For the vast majority of people, eating a healthy diet, taking targeted nutritional supplements, increasing activity level, and losing weight will go a long way toward managing diabetes. In fact, these measures may well help you avoid diabetes altogether.

For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and diabetes and weight, visit www.drwhitaker.com.

While several herbs have been proven to lower blood sugar levels, two in particular stand out:

Gymnema sylvestre.  This is a plant native to India that, incredible as it may seem, appears to regenerate the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. Gymnema has been demonstrated to lower blood sugar levels in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In a study of 22 type 2 diabetics, supplementation with this herb resulted in improved blood sugar control across the board. Furthermore, 16 of the 22 patients were able to reduce their oral medications while five discontinued them altogether. The recommended dose is 400 mg of Gymnema sylvestre per day.

Banaba leaf (Lagerstroemia speciosa L.). Banaba leaf contains colosolic acid, which activates glucose transport into the cells and effectively lowers blood sugar. In a landmark Japanese placebo-controlled clinical trial, 24 diabetics were given a supplement containing banaba leaf or a placebo three times a day for four weeks. Significant blood sugar declines were observed in the individuals taking the herb (average 153.9 to 133.1 mg/dL); there was little change in the placebo group. Aim for approximately 50 mg of banaba leaf extract daily.

Other botanicals that make it easier to control blood sugar, albeit to a lesser degree, include:

• bitter melon (Momordica charantia),
• Siberian ginseng,
• basil,
• cinnamon,
• garlic, and
• onion.

Look for all of these herbs in your health food store and use as directed.

For more information on treating diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters, or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

If you’re dealing with diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes, the primary thrust of your medical management should be to obtain and maintain blood sugar levels within the normal range.

For most physicians, this means drug therapy. However, in more than 30 years of treating thousands of type 2 diabetics at the Whitaker Wellness Institute, I’ve found that drugs are rarely necessary. Instead, I rely on alternative diabetes treatments, including a comprehensive diet, exercise, and weight loss program, and natural agents that lower blood sugar. Adopting this natural treatment program has allowed the majority of the diabetic patients who come to the clinic to be successfully weaned from their hypoglycemic drugs.

Take the case of Alice, who came to Whitaker Wellness with a seven-year history of type 2 diabetes. Her blood sugar was under pretty good control on Diabeta (a sulfonylurea drug), but she was concerned about side effects—as she should have been. Drugs in this class are associated with weight gain, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and an increased risk of heart disease.  

During her week at the Back to Health Program, Alice was weaned off Diabeta and placed on a combination of targeted minerals and herbs. And guess what? Her blood sugar levels remained stable. She continued on this effective, less expensive, and far safer program, and has been able to maintain blood sugar levels in the normal range.

For more information on managing diabetes, natural diabetes treatments, and reversing diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters, or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

We have become a nation obsessed with junk food and this emphasis on refined, fatty fare is partly responsible for nutritional deficiencies that can make it difficult to control blood sugar.  

Studies indicate that only a quarter of Americans get the recommended amount of magnesium, and intakes of zinc are also low. The average woman gets less than half the calcium she needs, and 58 percent of young women in the US are iron deficient. Chief among the nutrients that are lost during the refining process is the trace mineral chromium, which enhances the action of insulin and also facilitates weight loss. It has been suggested that chromium deficiencies, which are increasingly common in this country, may play a role in the development of type 2 diabetes.

Everyone—even those of you who eat a good diet—should take a high-potency multivitamin-mineral supplement every day. Make sure your multivitamin contains “megadoses” of the nutrients that have been demonstrated to reduce risk of type 2 diabetes, namely vitamin C (1,000-1,500 mg), vitamin E (300-400 IU), vitamin B6 (75–100 mg), vitamin B12 (100–1,000 mcg), biotin (300 mcg), magnesium (500 mg), and chromium (200–400 mcg).

Think of your multivitamin supplement as insurance to counterbalance the inadequacies of your diet. This small measure can help fill in the nutritional “holes” created by our modern lifestyle. Believe me, it’s the cheapest diabetic treatment you’ll ever buy.

For more information on managing diabetes and natural treatments for diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com. While there, sign up for FREE e-letters, or subscribe to Dr. Whitaker’s monthly newsletter, Health & Healing.

If you are living with diabetes or are simply interested in natural remedies for diabetes, you need to know about infrared light therapy.   

Several studies support infrared light’s benefits for diabetic neuropathy. In addition to restoring sensation and reducing risk of amputation, this therapy has also been shown to improve balance and reduce falls by 96 percent!

Treatment with infrared light is simple and painless. Flexible pads, each containing multiple small lights, are affixed over the feet, ankles, or other affected areas. The energy from these lights penetrates beneath the skin and is absorbed by deep tissues.  This significantly increases blood flow and improves overall circulation.  

Infrared light therapy is just one of the many natural remedies for diabetes used at the Whitaker Wellness Institute and discussed in this blog.

J.J. was lying in a hospital bed awaiting a below-the-knee amputation, thanks to a diabetic ulcer that didn’t respond to intravenous antibiotics.  

Five hours before his surgery, someone told J.J. about the Whitaker Wellness Institute, so J.J. checked out of the hospital against medical advice and came to see us.

Like all of our patients dealing with diabetes, J.J. was started on natural diabetic treatments, including a therapeutic diet and targeted nutritional supplement program (he was obviously unable to exercise). He also underwent a course of EDTA chelation.

In addition, we treated his infected diabetic ulcer—which was so far gone the skin was almost black—with sugar dressings.  

When sugar or honey is packed on top of and inside of an open wound, it dissolves in the fluid exuding from the wound, creating a highly concentrated medium. Bacteria cannot exist in this environment, and infection is dramatically curbed. This natural treatment for diabetes related wounds also reduces swelling and encourages the removal of dead tissue to make room for new growth.

Over the next few weeks, J.J.’s foot began to regain its normal color, and eventually the wound healed completely. Today, he’s beating diabetes, is nearly 150 pounds lighter, and he walks several miles a day on his own God-given legs.

NOTE:  Do not try this on a bleeding wound, as sugar promotes bleeding.   

Sugar Dressing Protocol

• Unravel a 4” x 4” piece of gauze into a long strip and coat it with Vaseline. Place it around the outside edges of the wound, like a donut.
• Cover the wound with ¼-inch of sugar. (The Vaseline “donut” will keep it in place.)
• Place a 4” x 4” sponge on top of the wound. Bandage it firmly but not too snugly with a cling dressing.
• Change the dressing every one or two days. Remove, irrigate with water, saline, or hydrogen peroxide, pat dry, and repeat steps 1–3.

R.B., a type 2 diabetic, had been on insulin for 16 years. She had retinopathy, angina, high blood pressure, a history of two heart attacks, and an open ulcer on her foot that refused to heal. But the most debilitating of her problems was neuropathy. Nerve damage left her with virtually no sensation in her feet, and she could barely get around on her own.

After hitting rock bottom, R.B. came to the Whitaker Wellness Institute and started on a comprehensive nutritional regimen, which included high doses of antioxidants, B-complex vitamins, zinc, magnesium, and targeted nutrients and herbs to help control her blood sugar. Given the severity of her condition, R.B. also underwent a course of enhanced external counterpulsation (EECP) and hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).

Within three days, the feeling began to return to her feet. She had more energy, less pain, and a renewed sense of hope. By the end of her second week at the clinic, she was walking normally. In fact, she and her daughter did something that would have been unthinkable just three weeks before: They spent the next couple days strolling around and sightseeing in southern California.

R.B. is just one of many diabetes success stories. And, in 99 percent of these cases, people have been willing to try natural diabetes treatments, as opposed to conventional methods of treating this disease. Targeted supplements for diabetes, coupled with lifestyle modifications, are just a few of the natural methods used in treating diabetes – and they work.

Bill, a patient of the Whitaker Wellness Institute, had diabetic neuropathy and very little sensation in his hands or below his knees. He was constantly dropping things, and his left leg dragged.

His previous doctor told him there was no hope of improvement and predicted that he’d be in a wheelchair within a year. Rather than accepting this dire prognosis, Bill acted on advice he’d read in Health & Healing, and started taking alpha lipoic acid (ALA).

Bill reported that after taking ALA for about two months, his coordination improved, the pain in his hands and feet resolved, and his gait normalized. His doctor said he’d never seen such a turnaround.

Bill eventually received other treatments at the clinic, but his story is a testament to the therapeutic power of targeted nutritional supplements.

ALA is just one of the many natural treatments for diabetes. Others include nutrients, and supplements for diabetes and simple lifestyle adjustments. Many of these approaches are detailed in this blog. You’ll also find a variety of diabetes success stories that can encourage and motivate you as continue on your quest toward reversing diabetes.

If you’re trying to manage diabetes and need a little extra help to control blood sugar (and your weight), glucomannan may be just the supplement for you.

Glucomannan is a water-soluble fiber derived from the Konjac root, a potato-like tuber native to Asia. Glucomannan works by absorbing water, which increases bulk, helping to reduce appetite, and produce feelings of satiety. It can also help support your health in other ways:

• Glucomannan promotes a more gradual absorption of carbohydrates, which helps to slow the release of sugars from the gut. This helps to manage blood sugar levels.
• Since glucomannan is a soluble fiber, it prolongs stomach emptying time and helps to promote healthy cholesterol levels.
• Glucomannan also helps support overall digestive health and naturally promotes regularity and normal bowel function.

All of these factors place glucomannan at the top of the list when ti comes to natural remedies for diabetes.

If you are looking to manage diabetes, take ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) mixed in an eight-ounce glass of water, two or three times daily, 30 minutes to one hour before meals (drink it quickly, before it thickens). Take care to avoid glucomannan capsules, as they may stick and expand in the esophagus.

Glucomannan is safe and well-tolerated. It can be taken indefinitely.

Note: Taking fiber supplements may interfere with the absorption of some minerals. If you take glucomannan or any fiber supplement before a meal, wait three or four hours before taking your vitamin and mineral supplements. (Most of the time, supplements should be taken with food. If you are taking glucomannan, use as directed and take your other supplements with a light snack to avoid stomach upset.)

Did you know that more than three-quarters of the world’s population today relies on herbs as their primary source of medicine?

And this is not just a “third world” phenomenon. Doctors in Europe often use herbs rather than prescription drugs to treat patients. Unfortunately, here in the US, physicians are far less enlightened.

There is no greater testament to the heavy-handed dominance of conventional medicine and the pharmaceutical industry in this country than the fact that herbal medicine is relegated to the fringes of our culture—branded by conventional physicians as an unproven remnant of our primitive past, rather than thoroughly modern therapies for the diseases that plague us.

But despite the prejudice among doctors against these proven therapies, Americans are buying herbs. According to one survey, almost half of all Americans have used herbal supplements at one time or another.

This is great news for anyone managing diabetes, as herbs are among the top alternative treatments for diabetes. In fact, diabetes herbal remedies, as well as vitamins, minerals, and simple lifestyle adjustments make treating diabetes safe, easy, and natural.
 
Many natural treatments for diabetes are highlighted in this blog.  We hope you’ll read them and take advantage of their ability to help you.

Vitamins D and E are great natural diabetes remedies.

Vitamin D deficiencies are linked with the development of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, as well as impaired insulin secretion. This vitamin also turns on genes that boost production of antimicrobial peptides called cathelicidins, which destroy viruses, bacteria, and other germs. Since people managing diabetes are more prone to infections due to diabetic ulcers and periodontal disease, optimal levels of this fat-soluble vitamin is important. Have your vitamin D blood level tested, and take enough vitamin D3 to bring it into the 40–60 ng/mL range. I’m reluctant to give an exact dose, but my average patient requires 5,000 IU of supplemental vitamin D daily.

Vitamin E, the body’s premier fat-soluble antioxidant, improves glucose control and protects blood vessels and nerves from free-radical damage, which is accelerated by the diabetic condition.

Studies have shown that high doses of supplemental vitamin E may even reverse damage to nerves caused by diabetes and protect against diabetic cataracts and atherosclerosis.

Additionally, research suggests that approximately 40 percent of people living with diabetes have a gene variation (haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene) that increases oxidative stress and doubles or triples their risk of cardiovascular disease. Israeli researchers found that when these people took
400 IU of vitamin E daily, their risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and death fell by 50 percent! Vitamin E’s benefits were so profound the study was terminated early so all study participants could benefit.

Oxidative stress also contributes to liver damage that, if untreated, can lead to diabetes complications such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The best-studied antioxidant for NAFLD also happens to be vitamin E, with doses averaging 800 IU per day. Everyone, regardless of health status, should take 400 IU of vitamin E every day.

Note: Take only natural vitamin E. You can tell it’s natural if it’s listed as d-alpha-tocopherol or d-alpha-tocopheryl. Synthetic vitamin E is listed as dl-alphatocopherol or dl-alpha tocopheryl (note the “l”).

Numerous scientific studies support safe, natural remedies for diabetes. Yet the vast majority of physicians continue to ignore the research—and jeopardize the health of patients seeking to manage diabetes—by focusing strictly on lowering blood sugar, no matter what the cost.

Part of the problem can be laid at the feet of human psychology. When a doctor sees a patient living with diabetes, specifically type 2 diabetes, he or she may give lip service to diet and exercise. But, to be really effective, the doctor must become a counselor who encourages and monitors the patient’s activity level, diet, and weight.

Obviously, lifestyle changes require work on the part of both physician and patient, and who wants to put forth that much effort? So the doc pulls out his prescription pad and discharges that responsibility. And patients accept this because it’s an easy out for them as well. What could be simpler than taking a “magic pill,” especially if adverse side effects are glossed over, as they usually are?

The pharmaceutical industry also shoulders much of the blame. These companies currently control the bulk of medical research, treatment guidelines, and physician education. As a result, not only is the effectiveness of drugs overstated and the risks minimized, but the emphasis on medication draws attention away from safe, natural treatments that truly improve the health and longevity of people managing diabetes.