Diabetes

Diabetes

In 1989, a physician from Florida wrote to Walter Mertz, M.D., then director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Human Nutrition Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland: "Enclosed is a sample of a 'weed.' A diabetic patient of mine brought it back from the island of Trinidad. She has adult-onset diabetes and was taking insulin until she began using this plant. Now she reports that she adds the weed to vermouth and takes small sips of the mixture twice a day. This has resulted in normalization of her blood sugars over the past six months. I am hoping you will be able to identify the plant and to determine its effective ingredient."

Knowing of my interest in herbal medicine, Dr. Mertz sent me the letter and the specimen, which I identified as jackass bitters (Neurolaena lobata), a tall perennial weed vaguely resembling American ragweed. Its tincture is a time-honored Creole-Caribbean treatment for diabetes and several other ailments, among them colds, fever, malaria and menstrual cramps.

I'm not sure whether this herb really helps with all those other complaints, but there is good research to show that jackass bitters helps regulate blood sugar (glucose) levels. So it really does help manage diabetes. In several studies using experimental animals, a tincture of the plant has been shown to be anti-hyperglycemic, which is the medical term for anything, including insulin, that lowers blood sugar. It is high blood sugar that is responsible for the serious complications in people who have diabetes.

If the animal dose can be applied to humans, a 150-pound person would have to consume about an ounce of the herb to gain significant anti-hyperglycemic benefits. But based on the letter to Dr. Mertz, apparently some people gain real benefits from taking considerably less. While the herb is difficult to find in the United States, some health food stores and mail-order companies do carry it.

Problems with Fuel Supply

More than 2,000 years ago, the ancients noticed that some people produced copious amounts of strangely sweet-tasting urine that attracted ants. (Tasting urine was a diagnostic tool in many cultures.) They named the condition diabetes mellitus, from the Greek for "fountain" and the Latin for "honey."

Diabetes occurs either when the pancreas stops producing the hormone insulin or the body becomes unable to use the insulin it produces. Glucose, the body's major fuel, cannot enter our cells unless insulin is present and working. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the bloodstream and eventually turns up in the urine, causing the sweet taste that the ancients noticed. The sugar imbalance also leads to increased urination and thirst.

Diabetes also causes narrowing of the small blood vessels throughout the body. It seems that the higher the blood sugar level, the more the small blood vessels narrow. As this happens, the blood vessels carry less blood, and circulation is impaired. Poor circulation in turn leads to the complications of poorly controlled diabetes: kidney disease, poor wound healing and foot and eye
problems.

Diabetic limb problems are the cause of about half of all U.S. amputations not caused by injury. Diabetes also alters fat metabolism, increasing the risk that cholesterol-laden plaque will build up in the large blood vessels. This means that people who have diabetes are at considerable risk for heart disease.

Two Conditions, Two Approaches

There are actually two kinds of diabetes--Type I (insulin-dependent) and Type II (non-insulin-dependent).

People who have Type I diabetes must inject themselves with insulin daily to control their blood sugar. People with Type II produce their own insulin, but their cells don't respond to it properly.

Type II is by far the more prevalent form of diabetes, accounting for 85 to 90 percent of cases. It is typically associated with obesity. People with Type II diabetes can usually control their blood sugar through weight loss and diet, sometimes in combination with oral medication that boosts the effect of their own insulin.

It is often possible for people with Type II diabetes to avoid taking drugs, and I favor this approach whenever possible. My review of the literature tells me that dietary approaches are cheaper, more effective and more pleasant than most of the pharmaceutical alternatives.

Some six million Americans are under treatment for diabetes. Almost as many have it and don't know it. Like heart disease and many cancers, diabetes is strongly associated with Western culture and diet. As members of non-Western cultures, notably American Indians and Australian aborigines, have switched from their traditional diets to a more Westernized diet, their rates of diabetes have soared.

Natural Tactics to Beat Diabetes

Diabetes is a serious condition. If you have this disease, you should definitely be under a physician's care. But there's a great deal that you can do to help manage the condition.

Because obesity is so strongly associated with Type II diabetes, weight control is an important element of diabetes self-care. A low-fat diet and regular moderate exercise is the way to go. I'd suggest gradually working up to the point where you can walk briskly for an hour every day. You already know how to walk, and you don't have to buy any special equipment or join a health club. If you've never been physically active, don't despair. Walking and other moderate exercise programs produce the greatest benefits in those who have been the least active.

There's also good evidence that supplementation can help prevent some diabetic complications. I suggest that you ask your doctor for a referral to a clinical nutritionist who can help you design the supplementation program that's right for you. Supplements that may help include vitamins B₆, C and E, chromium picolinate, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus and zinc, plus omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Green Pharmacy for Diabetes

In addition to exercising and taking supplements, you can try many herbs to help normalize blood sugar levels. The first, jackass bitters, I've already described. Here are the others in the lineup.

Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). About half of fenugreek seed (by weight) is a soluble fiber called mucilage. It contains six compounds that help regulate blood sugar levels.

Fenugreek also increases blood levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol while lowering total cholesterol, so it can help prevent cardiovascular disease, a particular hazard for people with diabetes.

Onion (Allium cepa). Onions have a long folk history of use as a dietary supplement to treat diabetes in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. I'm not surprised. Onions--especially the skins--are one of our best sources of the compound quercetin, which has been shown to help with eye problems that are often associated with diabetes, such as diabetic retinopathy.

Beans (Phaseolus, various species). Many studies demonstrate that eating foods that are high in soluble fiber, notably beans, reduces the rise in blood sugar after meals and delays the drop in blood sugar later on, thus helping to maintain blood sugar at close to desired levels.

If I had diabetes, I would eat lots of beans and bean soups. (For the benefits of both beans and onions, try my recipe for Dia-Beanie Soup.)

Bitter gourd (Momordica charantia). Also known as balsam pear, this herb has attracted considerable interest for its ability to regulate blood sugar. The research was first published in India in the 1960s, and since then several studies have shown that bitter gourd can help control diabetes.

In one trial, five grams (about two teaspoons) of powdered bitter gourd a day decreased blood sugar by 54 percent. In another, taking 50 milliliters (about a quarter-cup) of bitter gourd extract reduced high blood sugar by some 20 percent.

If you'd rather not fiddle with extracts, it's okay to just eat bitter gourd as a side dish, according to Melvyn Werbach, M.D., assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine, and Michael Murray, N.D., co-authors of Botanical Influences on Illness.

You could also try juicing it. Or make a decoction by gently boiling four ounces of chopped fresh bitter gourd in a pint of water until about half the liquid has boiled off. Take it once a day.

Garlic (Allium sativum). Like onions, garlic has a significant ability to control blood sugar levels. Eat more garlic--raw, if possible, or lightly cooked in food.

Macadamia nut (Macadamia, various species). Since 1986, dietary recommendations for people with Type II diabetes have called for a diet with 15 to 20 percent of calories from protein, less than 35 percent from fat and 55 to 60 percent from carbohydrates. More recent studies show that substituting certain healthy oils--monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)--for some of the carbohydrates can improve blood sugar control while not increasing cholesterol levels.

Olive oil is the most noted source of MUFAs. But if you don't like olive oil or simply want to expand your MUFA horizons, try macadamia nuts. They are up to 59 percent MUFAs. Other good sources of MUFAs include avocados, pistachio nuts, cashews, peanuts and Brazil nuts.

Marsh mallow (Althaea officinalis). Marsh mallow root is very high in a soluble plant fiber known as pectin (35 percent on a dry-weight basis). Taking pectin is an effective way to keep blood sugar levels down.

I'd steep the rather fibrous roots in water overnight, or better yet, buy a commercial product. Other good sources of pectin include white-flowered gourd, carrots, rosehips, apples and figs.

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea). Like beans, peanuts have the ability to keep blood sugar levels down. They are criticized for being high in fat, but I love them, munch them frequently and like to spread the news of their value.

Tea (Camellia sinensis). Indian researchers have shown anti-diabetic activity for black tea. In studies, extracts of black tea significantly reduced blood sugar levels in laboratory animals. If I had diabetes, I'd drink lots of tea. You might add blood-sugar-lowering spices to the tea for a little extra help. In fact, give my Insulinade a try.

Bay (Laurus nobilis) and other spices. My former USDA colleague, Richard Anderson, Ph.D., has demonstrated that bay leaves help the body use insulin more efficiently at levels as low as 500 milligrams (about a half-teaspoon). The leaves have been shown to lower blood sugar levels in experimental animals. I include a few bay leaves in my Dia-Beanie Soup as well as cinnamon, clove and turmeric, which are good at controlling blood sugar levels.

Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre). There have been at least four Indian studies on this herb, an Indian folk favorite for treating diabetes. The tea seems to boost insulin production. There is also some intriguing evidence that it may actually increase the number of islets of Langerhans, the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. A few forward-looking herbal dealers are already marketing this herb in the United States.