How to Prevent and Treat Diabetes with Natural Medicine - Method4 Using Herbs and Supplements

1 Ask your doctor before adding herbs. Many herbs have not been tested for safety during pregnancy, so if you are pregnant or dealing with gestational diabetes, make certain you speak to your physician before adding any herbs or supplements. Also, even though these herbs and supplements are natural, they CAN interact with various medications.

·         You can also ask your pharmacist about drug-herb/supplement interactions.

2 Buy quality herbs and supplements. Make sure you buy national brands of herbs and supplements and that the companies follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). For herbs, make certain that the suppliers use pesticide and herbicide free organically and sustainably grown herbs.

3 Try bitter melon. Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is often recommended for diabetes control. However, bitter melon has been associated with miscarriages and induced abortions in animals, so it should be avoided if you are pregnant or want to get pregnant. Bitter melon has been shown to improve blood glucose levels, increase the secretion of insulin and decrease insulin resistance.

4 Consider Gurmar. Gurmar, also known as Gymnema sylvestre has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and has been shown to improve the control of blood sugar. Gymnema is generally taken in doses of 200 mg twice a day. Gymnema appears to be safe in pregnancy, but speak to your physician before using.

5 Look into prickly-pear cactus. Prickly-pear cactus or nopal has been shown to improve blood sugar control. Prickly-pear cactus has not been tested in pregnancy, but has been used for centuries as food, suggesting but not proving that it is safe.

6 Add cinnamon. Cinnamon has been used to help control blood sugar levels and is considered safe for pregnant women in the amounts used in foods. This corresponds to approximately 1 gm (1000 mg) every day. 500 mg of cinnamon taken twice a day has been shown to improve A1c levels (and the levels of blood fats). A1c is used to determine average glucose levels for the previous 3 months. Lowered A1c levels reflect improved diabetic control.

7 Take vanadium and chromium. Vanadium and chromium are trace minerals and have been shown to be essential for control of blood sugar levels in diabetes. They may also function as antioxidants. Keep in mind that these minerals are only needed in small amounts.

·         Vanadium should be taken as vanadyl sulfate at 50-100 mcg per day.

·         Chromium should be taken as chromium picolinate at a dose of 400mcg per day.