Natural Supplements for Diabetes

[going411by7]

I have type two diabetes and I am slowly reducing my meds (with my diabetes doc's approval). Are there any diabetics here who have found the following natural supplements helpful in reducing their blood glucose levels? bitter lemon, cinnamon, gymnema sylvestre, alpha lipoic acid, chromium, licorice bark extract, biotin, banaba?

Second question: Is diamaxol helpful or a fraud? I have found several reviews that laud its helpfulness in reducing blood sugar--others that it is a scam.

[Dante311]

From my research, lifestyle intervention is beneficial on reducing the risk or attenuating diabetes, type 2.

what's your current lifestyle?

i'll assume you're on metformin?

[going411by7]

Not enough exercise--that I know. I am a heavy hitter, food-wise, so I always struggle to eat small, low calorie meals throughout the day. I'm on Met Plus, Januvia and Glumepiride. These cause side effects, which I hate, especially the Met Plus. This is the med the doc is reducing. I eat mainly vegetables, fruit and fish, avoid high carb foods, so my food choices are good--it's just the volume of food that is a challenge for me.

I have reached the point where I have to take complete control of my diabetes. The best thing I can do is knock off the extra weight--about thirty pounds. I weigh 215 pounds, and I am muscular, (a swimmer's build), so a thirty pound reduction in weight, I am sure would go a long way towards reducing the meds and lowering my blood sugar into a completely normal range. My goal is to bring my A1C (6.4) down to between 5 and 6.

I'm at a point where I was over seven and a half years ago when I decided that I no longer wanted to take Viagra to get it up and keep it up. That's when I started to practice p.e. I know this will take the same kind of discipline, the dedication I had when I started p.e.

[Dante311]

do you know your FPG (fasting plasma glucose) and 2-hour OGTT post-glucose challenge concentrations?

PM me for privacy. My research is in type 2 diabetes ... I am a physiologist and metabolic specialist. I will list my credentials via PM. You can search me on PUBMED

3 of my publications are published in the MSSE journal via ACSM.

exercise seems to be the MOST effective independent of dietary changes to reduce elevated FPG & 2-hour.. and hbA1C's...

Met and Met plus are both effective as shown by garber et al 1997, the Diabetes Prevention Program (2003) and the IDPP (indian diabetes prevention program) (2006)... but lifestyle rules all. literally...

58% reduction in the incidence to t2m in the lifestyle intervention group by means of habitual activity improvements via self-report. the Australian diabetes study showed similar findings in moderate activity levels. So to Beverly Balkau's RISC study and so on and so forth...

[kingpole]

Don't forget billberry and green tea, green tea works simular to gymena. I used all the natural and they do work but you have to give them time. So do n't go off of meds completely tell the naturals take over. Chromium takes about 6-8 weeks at 1000mcg per day. Ive controlled my out of control numbers for over five years now with naturals, meds did not work well for me, naturals seem to work better. Now they have to ask me if im diabetic at the clinic blood sugar numbers are always good. Rarely do they pop over 140.

[Dante311]

Don't forget billberry and green tea, green tea works simular to gymena. I used all the natural and they do work but you have to give them time. So do n't go off of meds completely tell the naturals take over. Chromium takes about 6-8 weeks at 1000mcg per day. Ive controlled my out of control numbers for over five years now with naturals, meds did not work well for me, naturals seem to work better. Now they have to ask me if im diabetic at the clinic blood sugar numbers are always good. Rarely do they pop over 140.

How old are you?


I'm all for naturopathic remedies, but the research i've found is limiting on the benefits of these modalities to reduce A1C's, FPG, and 2-hour concentrations

[going411by7]

Thanks, Dante, and Kingpole. I'll contact you, Dante. I want to learn more about these other tests. I"ll be sure to approach total reduction in meds with the utmost care, Kingpole. I may have to stay on some meds, but I'm on four different diabetes meds. I know that the Glumepiride, (an older drug), tends to send me, occasionally, into hypoglycemia. I've had a couple of episodes when I almost passed out. I hate it when my blood sugar bounces around, and I know that this is not good, especially since I have advanced glaucoma in both eyes. So far, there is no evidence of the diabetes affecting my vision.

[kingpole]

How old are you?


I'm all for naturopathic remedies, but the research i've found is limiting on the benefits of these modalities to reduce A1C's, FPG, and 2-hour concentrations

A half a glass of red wine can reduce your A1c. The reasearch you have found probably sabatoged natural remedies in order to sell drugs. But the medical world is slowly catching on. This by all means does not nullify your research your reseaerch is very important. You may be the one to find a cure for this damb disease.

Some people work better with a combination of medication and herbals. Sometimes the meds are not strong enough to lower blood sugar enough this is where a good herbal like cinnamon come in. The spice makes the medication work more efficiently.

They are studying ginkgo currently to see how well it reduces insulin resistance, court still out on that one. Some say its more effective at insulin resistance than exercise.

Me i am 47 years old, and i am on dialysis. Renal failure is due to a allergic reaction to Keflex. The doctor said i did not have diabetes long enough for it to be the culprit.

Some claims are misleading example the FDA recommended dose of chromium 200 is not high enough to control blood sugar. Blood sugar control begins at about 400mcg per day.

[Dante311]

A half a glass of red wine can reduce your A1c. The reasearch you have found probably sabatoged natural remedies in order to sell drugs. But the medical world is slowly catching on. This by all means does not nullify your research your reseaerch is very important. You may be the one to find a cure for this damb disease.

Some people work better with a combination of medication and herbals. Sometimes the meds are not strong enough to lower blood sugar enough this is where a good herbal like cinnamon come in. The spice makes the medication work more efficiently.

They are studying ginkgo currently to see how well it reduces insulin resistance, court still out on that one. Some say its more effective at insulin resistance than exercise.

Me i am 47 years old, and i am on dialysis. Renal failure is due to a allergic reaction to Keflex. The doctor said i did not have diabetes long enough for it to be the culprit.

Some claims are misleading example the FDA recommended dose of chromium 200 is not high enough to control blood sugar. Blood sugar control begins at about 400mcg per day.

My specific research in the realm of T2D is primarily the quantification of habitual ambulation outside the role of structured physical activity or exercise on hyperglycemia in fasting and 2-hour blood measures (in response to a meal aka Post-prandial)... and what effects physiological parameters play on environmental parameters such as physical activity / habitual ambulation and the outcome of insulin sensitivity, FPG/A1C, and 2-hours...

to me... physical activity > all.

the quercetin and resveratrol in red wine can play a beneficial role, but to what concentration must you consume to elicit benefits to the degree we wish

[kingpole]

My specific research in the realm of T2D is primarily the quantification of habitual ambulation outside the role of structured physical activity or exercise on hyperglycemia in fasting and 2-hour blood measures (in response to a meal aka Post-prandial)... and what effects physiological parameters play on environmental parameters such as physical activity / habitual ambulation and the outcome of insulin sensitivity, FPG/A1C, and 2-hours...

to me... physical activity > all.

the quercetin and resveratrol in red wine can play a beneficial role, but to what concentration must you consume to elicit benefits to the degree we wish

If your diabetic you bettter get off your ass, physical efforts is the key to better control. Losing weight often cure type two diabetes, or at least helps control it better.

Quercitin is in red onions it is in ginkgo and other vegetives. not enough resveretrol in a half a glass of wine to do much in control of diabetes. So it must be some other chemical that lowers the A1c. Beer also lowers A1c, one to two cans a beeer a day should help keep blood sugar in control.

A diet high in quality protein and some what lower complex whole grain carbs helps control diabetes. A diet that is 50% lean protein, 30% complex carbs, 20% good fats help lower the numbers. Stay away from the soda and bagels a diabetics worse food choice.