Some Top Herbal Remedies For Diabetes
People from different cultures will mention different herbs, but the good news is that you have choices. The main benefit of taking herbs for diabetes is lowering blood sugar naturally. You may find that you like the taste of one or more better than the others, or you find the ways in which you can use it (sprinkled on food, steeped in tea or other beverages, concentrated in supplement capsules) more to your liking. You likely will also find that some seem to work better for you as an individual.
5 Great Herbal Remedies for Diabetes
Here are top options for you to try as the best herbs for diabetes (you can find many of them together in good combination supplements available online or in the health food store. Combination supplements can save your time, money, and make it more convenient for you to get the key diabetic herbs daily.
1. Sprinkle cinnamon on your food for its blood sugar lowering effect – as well as its pleasant flavor. Cinnamon can also lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the bloodstream, thus also helping to reduce the risk of the cardiovascular complications.
2. Use the Peruvian herb cat’s claw as a tea or herbal capsules to reduce autoimmune responses in diabetes (especially type I) and bolster immune defenses against viruses and bacteria.
3. Try fenugreek as an herbal seasoning on foods and/or as a tea for an additional herb that can improve glucose tolerance in some diabetics.
4. Try the Ayurvedic herb gymnema sylvestre to lower blood sugar levels. This is part of a total package of herbs and nutritional supplements that can help regulate blood sugar and reduce the amount of drugs needed for good control.
5. Consider prickly pear, from the cactus plant. Researchers have shown that prickly pear prepared in a variety of ways can lower blood sugar and improve blood lipid levels, another big problem for type 2 diabetics.
Herbal Tea for Diabetes
* Drink green tea (decaffeinated if you cannot tolerate too much caffeine) multiple times per day. Its constituents support healthier immune function. If you need to sweeten it, try stevia rather than sugar or artificial sweeteners.
* Start drinking a few cups a day of chamomile tea. Researchers have shown that chamomile tea taken regularly can help reduce blood sugar levels and block the activity of certain enzymes involved in leading to diabetic complications such as nerve damage, cataracts and diabetic retinopathy in the eye, and kidney damage. Chamomile also helps calm the stress response and fosters better sleep.
* Alternate chamomile tea with herb tea made from blueberry leaves. Europeans have used blueberry leaves to soothe gastrointestinal upsets, reduce blood sugar by over 25%, and lower triglycerides.
* Use fennel tea daily as another natural herbal product that is caffeine-free and may lower blood sugar. Fennel also soothes the digestive system and has a sweet anise or licorice flavor that many people enjoy using with foods as a seasoning as well.
* Put the herb tea hibiscus into your daily fluid intake plan. Three cups per day of hibiscus tea has demonstrated an ability to lower blood pressure in people with high blood pressure (hypertension), a common problem for type II diabetics.
Conclusions – Herbal Remedies for Diabetes Can Help
In summary, you will find that people from China and India have even more herbs and other natural foods that they use to lower their blood sugar levels and/or protect their body from the complications of diabetes. Make sure to tell your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking herbs, as these can sometimes interact with the effects of prescription drugs to decrease or increase the effects of the drugs themselves.
Some herbs can interfere with clotting, which may be a good thing under certain circumstances (to lower risks for stroke or heart attack), but not when you need surgery. Most doctors advise you to stop taking any herbs and high dose vitamin supplements well in advance of elective surgery.
Many of these natural herbs can lower blood sugar so much that you do not need as much insulin or oral hypoglycemic drugs. It is crucial for you to check your blood glucose often to make sure you are not getting yourself into a low blood sugar crisis. You may need to work with your doctor to taper your medications if an herb has a desirable effect on your diabetes.
