Many people dealing with diabetes admit that the disease snuck up on them. They didn’t see it coming.
These men and women didn’t suddenly lose weight or become excessively hungry and thirsty (as those with type 1 diabetes often experience), nor did they feel sick in any way. In fact, there are few truly recognizable type 2 diabetes symptoms. The disease is usually discovered during a routine blood test when a high fasting blood glucose reading, usually in the 150 to 300 mg/dL range, is noted.
There are, however, a few common type 2 diabetes signs and symptoms:
The vast majority of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight, with the distribution of weight most commonly in the abdominal area.
Most people with type 2 diabetes are inactive.
Worldwide, the greatest increase in the number of people managing diabetes appears in those over the age of 65. Beginning in our forties, our lifestyle indiscretions are no longer protected by the resilience of youth. Things like an unhealthy diet, extra pounds, and lack of exercise suddenly turn into diabetes risk factors and begin take their toll.
For more information about type 2 diabetes symptoms and natural remedies for diabetes, visit www.drwhitaker.com.
Diabetic neuropathy is a form of nerve damage that affects many people living with diabetes. In addition to being quite painful, it can also be debilitating. Fortunately, there are three effective, natural remedies to treat this common diabetes complication.
Lipoic acid, also called alpha lipoic acid, is an extremely powerful natural antioxidant. High doses of lipoic acid (in the 600 mg range) have been shown in several studies to be an effective therapy for diabetic neuropathy, reducing pain, and improving function in affected patients. Aim for 600-1,200 mg daily, depending on your degree of neuropathy. Evening primrose oil, which contains the essential fatty acid gamma linolenic acid, also benefits nerves damaged by diabetes and reduces associated pain. In a landmark double-blind study carried out in seven medical centers, 480 mg of evening primrose oil taken daily for one year resulted in improvements in symptoms of neuropathy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetics. Other studies have utilized doses of up to 6,000 mg per day with good results. Start with 500–1,500 mg per day.
Potent daily multivitamin/mineral supplement and fish oil. Because oxidative stress plays a role in diabetic neuropathy, you need to take a potent multivitamin and mineral complex that contains the following nutrients in the suggested doses: vitamin E (at least 300 IUs), vitamin B6 (150 mg), and vitamin B12 (1,500 mcg). Since inflammation is also a factor, take 2–8 grams of high-quality fish oil.
One of the primary reasons we’re seeing a worldwide glut of insulin-resistant diabetes is because more and more emerging nations are adopting the Western diet that we’ve “enjoyed” for years. Indigenous diets of fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and whole grains are being replaced with processed, refined foods that have been stripped of their natural fiber and nutrients. Meat has become more prominent in the daily diet. And fast-food restaurants are springing up all over the globe. This is horrible news for anyone trying to manage diabetes.
In the US, we’ve been eating a schizophrenic diet for years. In a futile effort to lose weight, we fill up on fat-free cookies and ice cream, which are nothing more than unhealthy refined carbohydrates. We’ve also become sugar junkies. According to US Department of Agriculture statistics, Americans consume an average of 149 pounds of sweeteners a year—not counting the artificial sweeteners that we consume in more than 7,000 products.
Excess fat is also a culprit, particularly saturated fats from meat and altered trans fatty acids in processed foods. As early as the 1920s, it was demonstrated that a high-saturated-fat diet contributes to type 2 diabetes, as it not only causes weight gain—one of several diabetes risk factors in itself—but also decreases insulin sensitivity and makes it difficult to control blood sugar.
Beating diabetes has a lot more to do with lifestyle choices than with which pill to take next. Stay tuned to this blog for additional diet recommendations and other natural remedies for diabetes.
If you are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you’ll immediately—and unavoidably—be prescribed insulin. If the diagnosis is type 2 diabetes, you’ll probably be told to make some changes in your diet and to begin exercising. But, you’ll also likely be told to take a drug if your blood glucose doesn’t normalize with lifestyle changes.
Prescribing drugs is what physicians do. Medical school education is largely an exercise in learning which drugs to prescribe for certain conditions. Studies published in the most prestigious medical journals routinely compare the benefits of one drug versus another. Prescription medications are simply the heart and soul of modern medicine.
There are five major classes of drugs usually prescribed to help control blood sugar. Although these medications may be effective in lowering blood sugar, each and every one of them has its price.
Most oral hypoglycemic agents are no more than a Band-Aid approach to diabetes—they lower blood sugar, but do nothing to address the underlying condition. The majority increases insulin production, which, is not what’s needed in the case of type 2 diabetes, where folks are not insulin deficient, but rather insulin resistant.
Other meds affect the way carbohydrates are metabolized in the intestinal tract. And although some drugs do attempt to improve insulin sensitivity, their side effects (including liver failure and death) make them highly suspect.
Drugs are by their very nature foreign agents. As such, they affect your body in unnatural ways. The most common side effects of diabetic drugs are weight gain, gastrointestinal upset, and sometimes serious liver problems.
While I’m not against all prescription drugs, I know from decades of experience treating diabetes that natural remedies for diabetes also work. Better still, I have thousands of patient success stories to back up this natural approach.
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.
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”).
Two of the best natural remedies for diabetes are B-complex vitamins and vitamin C.
B-complex vitamins, particularly B6 and B12, are vital for the health of people who have diabetes. That’s because these vitamins support nerve health, which is critical when addressing conditions such as diabetic neuropathy.
Biotin is another B-complex vitamin that is necessary for cell growth and for the metabolism of protein, fats, and carbohydrates. This vitamin also also been shown to lower fasting blood sugar levels and reduce risk of complications such as diabetic neuropathy. The ideal daily dose for people living with diabetes is 75-125 mg of B6, 150-1,000 mcg of B12, and 300 mcg of biotin daily.
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant that protects against free-radical damage throughout the body. This vitamin is also required for the production of collagen, so it strengthens the blood vessels and supports healthy blood flow. In addition, it is involved in multiple aspects of the immune response and boosts overall immunity.
Perhaps most important to people managing diabetes, however, is vitamin C’s ability to lower levels of sorbitol, a sugar alcohol that can collect in the cells and damage the eyes, kidneys, and nerves. This, plus its ability to put the brakes on free radicals, makes vitamin C an important weapon in the arsenal against diabetes complications.
Finally, vitamin C is an excellent therapy for another condition that often co-exists in individuals living with diabetes: hypertension. Irish researchers found that just 500 mg of vitamin C a day lowered blood pressure and arterial stiffness in patients with type 2 diabetes. I recommend people dealing with diabetes take at least 1,000 mg of supplemental vitamin C daily.
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.
How does a physician know someone has diabetes and needs treatment?
For years, fasting blood glucose (blood sugar) and oral glucose tolerance tests were the primary diagnostics doctors used to determine whether or not a patient has diabetes. Today, glycosylated hemoglobin (A1C) is the new gold standard. This test measures the average glucose level during the two to three months prior to the blood draw, so it’s a broader picture than the “snapshot” the other tests provide. An A1C level higher than 6 percent is indicative of blood sugar problems, and 6.5 percent is the cutoff for a diagnosis of diabetes.
If a doctor diagnoses you with type 1 diabetes, you’ll immediately—and unavoidably—be prescribed insulin. If the diagnosis is type 2 diabetes, which nine times out of 10 is the case, you’ll likely be told to make some changes in your diet and to begin exercising. Beyond that, if it’s a conventional physician, a prescription drug will likely also be dangled in front of you, if not to begin at once, then to start if your blood glucose and A1C levels don’t normalize with lifestyle measures.
Prescribing drugs is what physicians do. In fact, medical school education is largely an exercise in learning what drugs to prescribe for which conditions. Studies published in the most prestigious medical journals routinely compare the benefits of one drug to another. Prescription meds are simply the heart and soul of modern medicine.
Although diabetes medications may be effective in helping to lower blood sugar, each and every one of them has its price. The oral hypoglycemic (blood glucose–lowering) agents are no more than a Band-Aid approach to diabetes—they lower blood sugar, but do nothing to address the underlying condition. For example, one popular class of drugs, sulfonylureas, increase insulin production. However, most people with type 2 diabetes produce too much insulin! These folks are not insulin deficient; they’re insulin resistant.
For years, doctors have known the potential dangers of oral hypoglycemic drugs, but for whatever reason, they continue to prescribe them to patients. This is a shame, given the number of blood sugar supplements and other, more natural treatments for diabetes that exist.
Stay tuned for my top supplements for diabetes and other natural remedies for diabetes.
For years, doctors have known the potential dangers of oral hypoglycemic drugs. But for whatever reason, they continue to prescribe them to patients dealing with diabetes. So my question is this: When are we going to learn—rather, when are we going to accept—that oral medications used to treat type 2 diabetes actually do more harm than good?
In February 2008, researchers heading a large, government-funded trial made a sobering announcement. The study in question, Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD), was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of various medication regimens in reducing heart attacks, strokes, and death from cardiovascular disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.
One arm of the study tested the widely held assumption that using more aggressive methods to lower blood sugar would provide greater protection against heart disease. Instead, ACCORD found just the opposite. Study participants on the most intensive drug regimens aimed at driving blood sugar way down had a much higher cardiovascular death rate. “Intensive blood sugar lowering treatment” proved to be so harmful that the researchers halted this arm of the study 18 months early to prevent this aggressive drug use from killing even more people.
“Those Who Cannot Remember The Past…”
Medical experts were reportedly “shocked,” “stunned,” and “startled” by this “unexpected” finding. Folks, this is nonsense. We’ve known about the fatal complications of diabetes drugs since 1969, when results of a similar study called the University Group Diabetes Program were made public. The goal of this placebo-controlled study of patients with type 2 diabetes was to see if either of two oral diabetes drugs lowered the incidence of heart attacks and other cardiovascular complications.
Incredibly, just like ACCORD, the study had to be stopped two years early because participants who were taking the drugs had a 250 to 300 percent higher death rate than those taking the placebo.
Philosopher George Santayana said more than a century ago, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Well, modern medicine has a terrible habit of forgetting—or ignoring—the past. And patients are condemned to pay for this folly. IMPORTANT WARNING: If you are currently taking an oral hypoglycemic drug, don’t stop taking it. You must work with your doctor to determine if you can gradually discontinue the medication. Ask him/her to help you implement a program of weight loss, lifestyle changes, and other natural remedies for diabetes. Check this blog frequently, do your own research, and talk with your doctor to determine that you’re getting the care that’s best for you.
Cataracts, or blind spots in the lens of the eye, are a common affliction of aging. Unfortunately, people with diabetes are at a much higher risk of developing cataracts. Part of the reason for the increased risk relates to how cataracts are formed in the first place.
Cataracts develop as a result of a process known as glycation, which occurs when sugars react with proteins to produce harmful substances called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). To understand glycation’s effects on the eyes, I like to use the analogy of cracking an egg into a hot frying pan. The clear part of the egg turns white as the proteins undergo glycation. Likewise, when glycation occurs in the protein-dense lens of the eye, the eye clouds over with cataracts.
Because it can take months to years for a cataract to have a noticeable effect on vision once it begins to form, it is important that people managing diabetes have regular eye exams. They should also do all they can to maintain near-normal blood sugar levels—and be open to seeking natural diabetes treatments, including nutritional supplements that help protect the eyes.
Search this blog for information about these and other natural remedies for diabetes.
While eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are necessary in your attempt to control blood sugar, these are not the only components of my “Natural Remedies for Diabetes.”
Diabetes is, in part, a nutrient-wasting disease. Elevated levels of glucose act like a diuretic and cause substantial loss of nutrients in the urine. Therefore, people living with diabetes are likely to be deficient in several important vitamins and minerals.
Incredibly, most white-coated experts specializing in diabetes make no attempt whatsoever to replace lost nutrients, leaving people with diabetes to suffer the inevitable consequences of massive nutritional deficiencies.
Is it any wonder that they are at increased risk for atherosclerosis, heart disease, and other degenerative conditions that have been definitively linked to nutritional deficiencies?
If you are dealing with diabetes, it is very important that you take a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement every day. Research has shown that taking a potent daily multivitamin and mineral supplement dramatically reduces the incidence of infection and the number of sick days among people dealing with diabetes.
In one study, half of the participants were given a daily multivitamin and mineral, while the other half received a placebo. Over the next 12 months, 93 percent of those who had received the placebo experienced one or more infections, and 89 percent missed work or other activities due to infection-related illness. Of those receiving the multi, just 17 percent contracted infections—and not a single person in this group missed work or other activities due to infection-related illness.
Beyond a daily multi, there are other targeted supplements that can help you control blood sugar levels and reduce diabetic complication. I’ll tell you about them in future posts…so stay tuned!
In the past decade, the prevalence of kidney disease has doubled.
One of the main reasons for this upsurge is our epidemic of diabetes. One-quarter to one-third of people with this condition develop diabetic nephropathy, which is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease.
Diabetes does a double whammy on the kidneys. When a person is unable to control blood sugar levels, damage is done to the blood vessels in the nephrons. The nephrons are the part of the kidneys that are responsible for filtering blood; returning blood cells, proteins, minerals, and other vital constituents to circulation; and passing excess water and wastes into tubules, which drain them into the bladder as urine.
And because the water-soluble antioxidants and other nutrients that protect against damage are lost in the excessive urination that accompanies diabetes, it’s no wonder so many people with diabetes end up developing kidney disease.
But don’t despair! There are natural remedies for diabetes, many of which we’ll be discussing in this blog. And if you do have this disease, the information I’ll share here will make dealing with diabetes a little easier.
Alzheimer’s disease has recently been linked to diabetes. Researchers from Brown University analyzed the brain tissue of 45 patients who had died with varying degrees of Alzheimer’s. In the study, they compared this tissue with that of people who did not have a history of diabetes. In every case, insulin-related abnormalities normally associated with advanced stages of diabetes were noted.
There is another researcher who has uncovered links between diabetes and cognitive problems. According to Suzanne Craft, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science at the University of Washington, Seattle, and researcher at the VA Puget Sound Medical Center, when insulin levels are elevated, it may prompt the development of the amyloid protein that is found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients.
One possible explanation for these findings is that insulin and its related growth factor proteins (such as insulin-like growth factor-1, or IGF-1) play an integral role in the production of acetylcholine—a neurotransmitter found in the brain that is necessary for optimal cognitive function.
When insulin levels are abnormal (one of the most common type 2 diabetes symptoms) production of acetylcholine can be disrupted, setting the stage for Alzheimer’s and other memory problems to develop.
I encourage people living with diabetes to pay strict attention to this information. I suggest that they adhere to the natural remedies for diabetes (many of which I’ll be sharing with you here). Diabetes complications should not be taken lightly, and you need to do everything you can to ensure to stay healthy when dealing with diabetes.
In my earlier post, I explained that supplemental insulin can cause people who are trying to manage diabetes to gain weight. Sadly enough, weight gain isn’t the only downside of insulin use.
Another strike against insulin is its tendency to increase your risk of hypertension.
Taiwanese researchers looked at more than 87,000 patients with type 2 diabetes who were treated with either oral drugs or insulin. They found that patients managing diabetes using insulin had a higher prevalence of hypertension (61.3 versus 53.9 percent), and the longer they used it, the greater their risk.
This is not surprising when you consider insulin’s activities beyond nutrient storage.
Injected insulin increases sodium retention and stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. It induces oxidative stress, leading to free-radical damage that impairs the function of the endothelial cells lining the arteries. It also has growth factor–like activity that thickens blood vessels and increases risk of atherosclerosis, which also adversely affects blood pressure health.
Since people living with diabetes are already at dramatically increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, the last thing they need is a treatment that amplifies this risk.
I opt for more natural remedies for diabetes, many of which I’ll be discussing here in my blog. Please stay tuned.
Are you looking for natural remedies for diabetes? If so, one thing you can do is maintain a healthy weight.
One of the most significant risk factors for type 2 diabetes is obesity. Statistics show that 90 percent of all people with type 2 diabetes are overweight. In fact, the link between diabetes and obesity is so strong that it’s led to the coining of a new term, diabesity.
Where you store those extra pounds is also an issue. If you’re a person living with diabetes and you carry your weight in the abdominal area, you are at an even greater risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. That’s because abdominal fat is more metabolically active than fat stored in the hips or buttocks. It is more easily broken down into free fatty acids that enter the bloodstream, interfere with the action of insulin, and raise triglyceride and glucose levels.
The good news is, for most people, getting a handle on weight is all it takes to minimize diabetes risk factors.
One of the most significant risk factors for type-2 diabetes is obesity.
Statistics show that 90 percent of all people with type-2 diabetes are overweight. In fact, the link between diabetes and obesity is so strong that it’s led to the coining of a new term, diabesity.
Where you store those extra pounds is also an issue, in terms of your ability to control blood sugar. For example, if you carry the pounds in the abdominal area, you are at an even greater risk of insulin resistance and diabetes. That’s because abdominal fat is more metabolically active than fat stored in the hips or buttocks. It is more easily broken down into free fatty acids that enter the bloodstream, interfere with the action of insulin, and raise triglyceride and glucose levels.
The good news is, for most people, getting a handle on weight is a great way of beating diabetes. Check this blog often for tips on how to lose weight and other natural remedies for diabetes.
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