Herbal Support for Diabetics- Pt. 1

Herbal Medicine for Diabetes

We've had a lot of questions lately about good herbs to help balance diabetes, mostly pertaining to blood sugar maintenance. So here, we will talk about some good herbs to use to regulate a healthy lifestyle with diabetes.

Part 1- A little ramble:

Managing diabetes can seem like an overwhelming task. Having reliable information, friends and family for support, and access to help are arguably the top three most important factors when it comes to getting a handle on this life-changing disease. If you've been dealing with diabetes for any length of time, you're sure to have heard things like, "Eat a healthy, balances diet!", or "Get lots of exercise, be sure to stay active!", or even "Watch your carb and sugar intake, read every label.". After hearing the same information over and over again, you might even start to tune it out, or worse- start looking for new information from unreliable sources.

With alternative and holistic medicine gaining more awareness throughout the country, more companies are jumping on the bandwagon to try and take their share in the profits. They can declare many claims on what an herb or supplement can "support", with advertising so good, it will lead you to thinking it's the next best thing for whatever ails you. Truth is, the statements they make are not evaluated by any regulatory administration- such as the FDA. As long as they keep their words to "support", they are in the clear. Not only are the claims not regulated, but many of the products on the shelves today are either adulterated with ingredients not listed, have added pharmaceuticals to "enhance" the herbal product listed, contain pesticides or heavy metals, and in themselves have not gone through rigorous scientific studies proving their effectiveness.

Now, those of us who use and have used herbal medicines for most of our lives know that science is only just beginning to catch up to what we as a collective have known for thousands of years. That doesn't mean that we can't use certain herbs if they haven't undergone this "rigorous study", but it does mean we should use caution. Many herbs can interact with pharmaceuticals and are contraindicated (warned against) in certain cases. This is part of what a thoroughly tested herb can tell us. It's not good enough to just take herbal supplements, we must do so in good conscience and with a good understanding of what it will do within our bodies.

That being said, let's talk about some tried and true herbal remedies for diabetes management.

Part 2 coming next week.