DIABETES HERBS: HOME HERBAL NATURAL REMEDIES
Diabetes: What Is It and Who Gets It?
Diabetes is a significant problem in the developed and underdeveloped world, and is especially prevalent among certain ethnic groups. Yet many people are not really sure what diabetes is, who gets it, and whether or not they are at risk.
Diabetes means too much sugar in the blood. Its proper name is diabetes mellitus. The sugar in the diabetic person’s system also comes out in the urine, which diabetics produce a lot of — the ancient Egyptians noticed that the urine of certain people attracted sugar-loving insects like ants. The term “diabetes” comes from the Greek physician Arateus, and means “to siphon.” The term “mellitus” (meaning “honey sweet”) came about in the late 1600s.
Diabetics need to take steps to control their blood sugar levels, something that is normally done automatically within the body. How this is done and to what extent it is done depends on the type that is present.
Types of Diabetes
There are two basic types of diabetes. Type I, also called juvenile diabetes, often occurs in childhood. In this type of diabetes, the pancreatic cells are destroyed, either by the body’s own immune system or some external damage to the pancreas, such as injury or surgery. Type I must inject insulin into their bodies since their pancreas no longer produces insulin. Insulin takes the sugar from the blood and gets it into the body’s cells where it can be used.
Type II is far more common and tends to occur in adults. Generally, those with Type II have a functioning pancreas; it just doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin it produces is “ignored” by the body (insulin resistance). Type II can sometimes be managed with diet and exercise, and insulin injections may or may not be necessary.
Types of Diabetes — Know the Difference
Many people know that there is a difference between Type I and Type II diabetes, but they aren’t sure just what those differences are. Others may not know that there are actually several other types of diabetes in addition to Types I and II, and that there are diseases that may mimic diabetes but are not the “real thing.”
Here are some ideas and tips on how to know the difference between the various types of diabetics.
Type I
Also called juvenile onset diabetes, Type I usually occurs in people under the age of 25. The pancreas, often due to an autoimmune problem (the body attacks its own pancreatic cells) becomes disabled and can no longer produce insulin. Type I tends to run in families and will affect the person for the rest of his or her life. Insulin will be required and perhaps other medications throughout the diabetic’s life.
Type II
This type usually occurs later in life. Its symptoms are similar to Type I — excessive thirst, unexplained weight loss, frequent urination, fatigue, tingling in the extremities, etc. — but unlike Type I, Type II can often be managed with diet and exercise, especially if it’s caught early. Some sources note that it never really “goes away,” but its severity varies.
Type II usually have a functioning pancreas; it just doesn’t produce enough insulin, or the insulin it does produce is not processed or recognized by the body (insulin resistance).
Diabetes Mellitus
The above types are both a form of diabetes mellitus. This is the form of the disease most people think of when they hear the term “diabetes.”
Diabetes Insipidus
This is a disease that many may not have heard of. While it shares the same first name and even some of the symptoms (frequent urination and excessive thirst, for example), diabetes insipidus is actually quite different from diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes insipidus is primarily a kidney disease, and is often connected to the pituitary gland. This gland makes two hormones: one that stimulates the kidneys to make more urine (diuretic hormone) and one that “shuts off” the production of urine (anti-diuretic hormone). In diabetes insipidus, the kidneys either stop responding to this hormone or something goes wrong with the pituitary gland so that the hormones are not secreted properly.
MODY — Maturity Onset Diabetes of the Young
MODY is often confused with Type I or II diabetes. But it’s neither one — sometimes it’s called “Type 1.5.” MODY is said to be caused by a single mutated gene that can be passed on from parent to child. MODY itself has varying degrees of severity, with MODY 1 and 3 possibly requiring insulin, sometimes in the oral form only, and MODY 2 not requiring any form of insulin.
Who Gets Diabetes?
Type I tends to run in families. Type II can also run in families, and may occur in at-risk individuals: those who are overweight, sedentary, over the age of 35, or had gestational diabetes in the past. You cannot “catch” diabetes as it is not caused by a pathogen.
The prevalent opinion among medical professionals is that Type II can be prevented or minimized through a healthy lifestyle. The theory goes that too much white flour products, white sugar, corn syrup, and other refined sugars and grains cause the pancreas to become exhausted or the body to resist the insulin that is produced.
What Causes Diabetes?
Chances are, you know someone with diabetes, or someone in your family has it. But what causes it? How does a person develop the symptoms of diabetes?
There are basically two types of diabetics, Type I and Type II. These differ as to their cause and treatment. Here are some ideas about what causes diabetes.
Type I
Type I Diabetes is caused by a malfunctioning pancreas. What causes the pancreas to malfunction differs from case to case. It tends to run in families, but some individuals have developed diabetes in childhood when no one in their family has any history of the disease.
In some individuals, their own immune system attacks the pancreas and destroys its cells, thereby rendering it useless. In others with Type I diabetes, an injury or pancreatic surgery destroys the pancreas to the point that it can no longer produce insulin.
Type I diabetes has a different demographic than Type II. Children as young as 2 or as old as 22 can be diagnosed with Type I diabetes — hence the alternate name for Type I diabetes: juvenile diabetes. However, older people can certainly develop Type I diabetes, especially if there is injury to the pancreas.
Type II
Type II Diabetes may have some hereditary factors, too, but not to the clear-cut degree that Type I diabetes does. In Type II, the body becomes resistant to the insulin that the pancreas is still producing. Or, Type II diabetes have a functioning pancreas but the organ does not produce enough insulin. Older individuals and those who are overweight are considered more at risk for developing Type II than those with a healthy body weight and lifestyle.
What Triggers Diabetes?
An auto-immune disorder might trigger Type I diabetes, as the body’s immune system can inexplicably attack the pancreas and destroy its cells. There might also be some other way that the pancreas gets damaged, which is not age specific.
Type II diabetes may be triggered by unhealthy, sugar-rich diets and a sedentary lifestyle. The pancreas may simply become exhausted trying to keep the blood sugar down in response to the constant influx of sugar from the diet.
Other possibilities for triggers include high blood pressure and stress. While it’s not directly proven as a causal factor, individuals with high blood pressure are statistically more likely to develop diabetes than those with normal blood pressure.
Stress as a causal factor has a similarly unproven status, but it is often thought by medical professionals that prolonged, unrelieved stress increases the risk of diabetes. Sometimes the stress is caused by trauma or emotional disturbance, somehow making the individual susceptible to developing diabetes.
Signs and Symptoms of Diabetes in Infants, Children and Adults
Diabetes is not as uncommon a disease as some people may think. In fact, according to various sources, there are between 25 and 26 million diabetics living in the United States. Diabetes is not just a disease that affects older, overweight people; its various types can affect infants and the elderly, and those in between.
To help get a better grasp on the nature of diabetes, it helps to know the signs and symptoms for various age groups. Here are some of them.
Infants
Watching for the signs and symptoms of diabetes in infants can be tricky. Watch for symptoms of low blood sugar in addition to high, warn experts. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) is usually associated with diabetes, but low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) may also be a symptom.
Babies with low blood sugar may tremble, be cranky, or have pale or blue lips and/or fingers. High blood sugar may present as dehydration, or a baby seeming to need to drink all the time and urinate frequently. Also, a sweetish smell to the urine is indicative of diabetes.
Other symptoms of diabetes in infants include excessive sleepiness, extreme hunger, and sores that are slow to heal. Some sources suggest looking for a dark rash on the back of your baby’s neck — it may feel somewhat velvety.
Children
Like infants, children with diabetes may exhibit extreme thirst and frequent urination. He or she may lose weight despite all the ravenous hunger, and in fact, some sources say that unexplained weight loss is the number one sign of diabetes in children. Other symptoms include:
- Moodiness
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Uncharacteristic behavior (just not acting like him/herself)
- Vision problems, especially blurred vision that comes and goes
- Chronic yeast infections, especially in girls
- Tingling in hands and feet
Adults
Adults can develop Type I or juvenile diabetes, particularly young adults. Type II diabetes occurs later in life and is different than Type I, but the symptoms of both are quite similar. For adults, the following symptoms may indicate diabetes.
* Unexplained weight loss — Adults in particular need to be cautioned about this symptom, because adults often think any weight loss is good. This is especially true if their doctor told them that being overweight put them at risk for diabetes. But if the weight loss is unexplained and is accompanied by any of the other symptoms, it might be a good idea to see your doctor.
* Thirst and urination — Like infants and children, adults with undiagnosed diabetes are often extremely thirsty. And the more you drink, the more you urinate. If it seems like you do nothing but drink and pee, and never feel satisfied as to your thirst, diabetes might be the culprit.
* Tingling in extremities — As with children, adults may experience tingling hands and feet.
If Not Diabetes — What?
There are disorders that mimic the symptoms of diabetes. Among these are liver disease, morbid obesity, and the side effects of certain cholesterol- and blood pressure-lowering drugs.
Treatment Options
There is always a significant amount of research going on in the field of diabetes. Scientists are always looking for a cure or better treatment, developing new drugs and equipment, and performing experiments with stem cells and other methods. New treatment options are becoming available all the time.
As a diabetic, keeping your blood sugar levels steady is key. Once you have that under control, many diabetics like to search out alternative treatments. In conjunction with your physician’s knowledge, you may find your health is enhanced by one or more alternative treatments.
Let’s take a look at some of the treatment options available for diabetics.
Insulin
Those with Type I will need to take insulin. This can be done in the form of a shot, which the diabetic gives him or herself (except for small children, whose parents could give the daily shots). Another option is an insulin pump, which is outside the body but attached by a small tube. The diabetic enters what he or she eats into the pump, and the pump produces the necessary insulin.
For Type II diabetics, insulin may or may not be necessary. If it is, there are some different options for these diabetics. Inhaled or even oral insulin may be prescribed, or traditional shots or “pens.”
Medications
In addition to insulin, some diabetics take various medications. Some medications, like Metformin, work by decreasing the glucose that the liver produces, which aids in the body’s response to insulin. Others, such as Glipizide and Glimepiride, increase the pancreas’s own insulin. This, of course, lowers blood sugar; but presumably it would only be effective if the pancreas still worked somewhat.
Some newer medications are called DPP-4 inhibitors. These affect the pancreas both by stimulating the secretion of insulin and by reducing the secretion of a hormone called glucagon. Glucagon raises blood sugar.
Alternatives
Some natural substances have been considered for their ability to lower or stabilize blood sugar. Chromium, a mineral that occurs naturally in whole sugar cane, may be low in people with Type II diabetes. Chromium is said to stabilize blood sugar. Other minerals, herbs, and foods that are said to help with blood sugar are:
- Stevia
- Magnesium (diabetics are often found to be deficient in this mineral)
- Essential fatty acids
- Cinnamon
- Ginseng
- Acupuncture has also been explored as an alternative treatment.
Diet and exercise are important for all diabetics, but these essentials are usually considered “alternative treatments,” probably because they do not directly involve drugs or conventional therapy. But exercise and diet are important for keeping blood sugar regulated and maintaining a healthy body weight.
Natural Home Herbal Remedies
1. Grind Six (6) bulbs of Onions, add One (1) original bottle of Honey. Take one spoon trice daily for one month.
2. Get a handful of bitter leaf and scent leaf, squeeze out the juice in them, add lime (orange) juice, add grinded garlic, and small potash. Take half glass of it twice daily for one month.
3. Get a sizeable plant that is very common in the environment, the stubborn weed called Sida Acuta.
