Do any of the following apply to you?
15 ways to lower your blood sugar
Nutrients & Nutraceuticals
Herbal Products

How to Prevent & Reverse Diabetes

Simply defined, diabetes is hyperglycemia. Hyper as in too much, glyc as in glucose, emia as in blood. Too much sugar in the blood. It has two primary causes. Either the body has stopped producing insulin, or the insulin being produced doesn’t work properly. The first scenario – when the body stops producing insulin – is referred to as Type I diabetes. Only 10 % of of diabetics have this type of diabetes, and these individuals must take insulin injections.

Ninety percent of diabetics have Type II diabetes. These individuals produce insulin – in fact they often have more than average – it just doesn’t work properly. This is usually referred to as insulin resistance. It’s as though the body "resists" the effects of insulin. It is Type II diabetes that we will be referring to in this article.

There are four underlying questions we need to address:

Do any of the following apply to you?

Skipping meals slows down metabolism, and cues the body to make adjustments to compensate for the lack of fuel. The stress of not eating triggers the release of some cortisol which makes us resistant to insulin, and suppresses the release of additional insulin. This keeps our blood sugar from dropping too low when we don’ t eat, but virtually guarantees that we will have a rebound high when we do finally consume food. Approximately 30 minutes after eating we produce 2-3 times the amount of insulin we would normally produce. This excessive production of insulin causes us to store more fat than usual.

Same process as above. If the first meal of the day is lunch, you may experience rebound hypoglycemia 3-4 hours after you’ve eaten. If you are raiding the candy machine at 3:30 PM… you need to start eating breakfst.

People who don’t eat during the day tend to binge eat at night. The excess calories at one sitting are readily turned into fat for storage. And the larger the amount of food consumed at one time the greater the production of insulin. In general, the higher the production of insulin, the heavier the body, and the more resistant the body is to weight loss.

As body weight rises so does insulin production, and so does appetite. If you are hungry all the time, and have a high level of insulin, the more difficult it is to lose weight. If you are overeating, and the body is producing large amounts of insulin to facilitate the processing of blood glucose there is the very real possibility that over time you will adapt to the excess calories and the insulin will stop working properly.

Alcohol has a major impact on appetite, blood sugar and body weight. Alcohol lowers blood sugar and makes us hungrier. It greatly increases appetite over the 24 hour period following consumption, and it inhibits the breakdown of fat for energy.

Stress causes the release of cortisol which makes us resistant to insulin. Most people will have a high blood glucose level when they are stressed because of the high cortisol level. If the stress goes away, cortisol should drop and blood sugar should return to normal. However, sometimes when the stress is chronic the body adapts to the hormonal changes and blood augar remains high.

Chromium is a mineral that is part of insulin, and if you are deficient in chromium the insulin in your body may not work properly. If you consume a lot of refined carbohydrates – white bread, white rice, sweeteners – you may be deficient in chromium. Action to take: 200 mcg of chromium 1-3 times per day.

Toast, bagels, and cereals for breakfast, hero sandwichs for lunch, and pasta for dinner, plus snacks of chips, pretzels, cookies, etc. Get the picture? One way or another a diet high in starch is going to catch up with you. Either the excess calories are turned into fat for storage, or the excess production of insulin increases your appetite and cues you to eat even more. 

FYI: A lot of people think they have diabetes because of genetics. Reality: It is just as apt to be the behaviors you’ve inherited than the genes you’ve inherited. The down side of thinking it runs in your family is that we tend to see the disease as a given, something we are powerless to change.

15  ways to lower your blood sugar:

Have ½ the banana.
Have ½ the sandwich.
Have ½ the potato.
Have ½ the entrée. 

             An apple vs Fruit Loops
            Rolled oats vs Sugar Frosted Flakes
            Turkey vs a hot dog
            London Broil vs bologna
            Sweet potato vs potato chips
            Brown rice vs rice cakes
            An orange vs and orange drink
            Wheat berries vs Wonder Bread
            Grilled filet of sole vs a fried fish filet (at a fast food restaurant)
            Baked chicken vs Kentucky Fried
            Etc., etc.

Examples:

One poached egg on one slice of whole grain bread plus a slice of melon

Add olive oil, walnuts, a slice of avacado to your salad.

Multi-grain bread with peanut butter and ½ a banana 

Tip: If you need help changing your eating habits in order to lower your blood sugar, consult a behavioral nutritionist.

Nutrients and Nutraceuticals that may benefit diabetics and/or help to lower blood sugar.

Some of the above may be taken as part of a good high potency multiple.

Compound Products:

Glucosynergy 1-3 times per day   (Available from DaVInci Laboratories)

Contains: (per capsule)
Alpha Lipoic acid 100 mg.
Bilberry fruit extract 80 mg.
Bitter Melon extract 80 mg
Chromium 200 mcg (Chromate Brand)
Dimethylglycine hydrochloride 50 mg.
Gymnema Sylvestre Leaf Extract 200 mg
Lagestroemia Speciosa 50 mg. (Glucosol Brand)
Quercetin 200 mg.

 Herbal Products used in the prevention and treatment of diabetes:

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius)
3g/day significantly reduces postprandial glycemia

Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
Active constituent: Anthocyanoside flavonoids
Action & Use: The flavonoids strengthen capillary basement membranes and help stabilize collagen. Helps to protect the retina from oxidative damage. Protects occular tissue from free radical damage and excess glucose.
Dosage: Capsule - 80 mg. (25% anthocyanosides) 1-3 X day
Drug interactions: Has a slight platelet aggregation inhibiting effect. May interact with other blood thinners.

Bitter Melon extract (Momordica charantia) [found in China, India, and Africa]
Active constituents: charantin, p-insulin
Actions & uses: Enhances glucose transport and utilization by cells. Also, suppresses glucose release by liver. P-insulin acts like insulin in both function and structure.
Dosage: capsule - 80 mg (.5% Charantin) 1-3 X day

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)
Medicinal part: ripe dried seeds
Active constituents: Mucilages (25-45%), proteins (25%), Proteinase inhibitors, Steroid saponins, flavonoids, volatile oil
Action & uses: Reduces blood sugar. Decreases total cholesterol, LDL, VLDL.
Dosage: Typical capsule - 600 mg Maximum dosage: 6 gm
Drug interactions: May produce an exaggerated hypoglycemic effect in patients on oral hypoglycemic drugs.

Gymnema Sylvestre Extract (25% Gymnemic acid)
Actions & uses: Normalizes blood glucose levels and increases the normal production of insulin. May help the regenerations and repair of beta cells in the pancreas (as shown in animal studies.) Also helps to reduce high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in daibetics.
Active Constituents: gymnemic acid, saponins, stigmasterol, and amino acid derivatives of betaine and choline.
Dosage: 400 mg/day

Lagestroemia Speciosa L. Extract [std to 1% Corosolic acid]
Active constituent: Corosolic acid has strong insulin-like effect. The 1% extract of Corosolic acid is trademarked as "Glucosol."
Actions & Uses: Can enhance glucose transport and effectively reduce blood glucose levels.
Dosage: Typical- 50 mg

Warning:
If you are currently taking a prescription medication to lower your blood sugar you must work with a health professional to add alternative medicines and herbal products.

Tip:  If you are not already doing so, buy yourself a blood glucose monitering kit.   Check your blood sugar first thing in the morning, and at least one other time during the day, preferably two hours after a meal. Keep track of the readings.  This way you will know over time how foods impact your blood sugar level, and you will also learn what is working to restore your blood sugar to normal.

Tip: Know the difference between symptoms of high vs low blood sugar.

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© 2002-2006 jstorm

"The information presented here is for educational purposes only, and is not intended to replace an individualized consultation with a qualified health professional."