Home Remedies for Diabetes

Diabetes is a grave illness with persistently high glucose level in the blood-stream. It’s one of the most wide-spread diseases in the world. Blood sugar (glucose) is the primary source of energy for the body cells and diabetes occurs from disturbance in glucose metabolism. Beta cells of pancreas assist production of insulin, a protein that is responsible for glucose metabolism in the body. Insulin converts excess glucose into glycogen and stores in the body. Insufficient production of insulin in the pancreas, thus, leads to of excess of glucose (normal glucose level is 80-140mg/100ml under fasting) in the blood-stream.

There is no sharp boundary to decide if a person is diabetic or not. It’s the level of disorder in blood-sugar that matters.

Diabetes can be categorized as:

Type 1 diabetes: malfunctioning pancreas where it is not able to produce adequate amounts of insulin. It’s mostly found in children and young adults and requires regular insulin injection support.

Type 2 diabetes: occurs with insulin deficiency or when the body becomes resistant to insulin. It is pretty common in adults, but, increasingly diagnosed in teens lately.

Gestational (pregnancy-related): Usually occurs in some women (3-5 percent) toward the end of pregnancy. Usually it ceases to exist post child-birth, but increase risk for developing type 2 diabetes later in life.

Symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetics usually show a group of following symptoms:

• Frequent urination and increased thirst is the most common symptom, though it also happens in many other health conditions.
• Weight loss (type 1 diabetes) and Obesity (type 2 diabetes)
• Skin irritation or infections
• Erectile problems, blurred vision in certain cases
• Fatigue, weakness, numbness or tingling sensation in the hands or legs, tiredness
• Sleeplessness
• Occasionally extreme hunger
• Decreased immune power and healing capacity of the body.
• Complications like hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis), vision problems, blindness and problems with heart, kidney and nerves

Usually all the above are the result of high blood-sugar levels in the body. A proper medical check only can tell if diabetes care needs to be taken.

What causes Diabetes

Major factors which may increase the risk of developing diabetes:

• Nutritional deficiency (usually due to unbalanced diet)
• Regularly consuming too much sugar, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins (This is NOT important until diabetic conditions develop)
• High blood pressure deteriorates diabetic conditions faster
• Hereditary factors play a major role
• Deficiency of insulin in the body or resistance of body to insulin
• High cholesterol, obesity
• Stress and lack of exercise or physical activities
• Infections due to the Coxsackie B virus

Diabetes remedies and cures

• Bitter gourd has been most effective of all natural diabetes remedies. Intake of bitter gourd in the daily diet does the magic! Warning: Excessive intake of bitter gourd can cause diarrhea and abdominal problems. Also, it’s not recommended for patients with low sugar levels (hypoglycemia).
• Celery, string beans, garlic, cucumbers in diet effectively helps cure diabetes.
• Fenugreek is also very effective in diabetes control. Drink one cup of fenugreek juice every morning. Fenugreek seed powder can be taken daily with milk. 1-2 teaspoons of whole fenugreek seeds can be taken at night before sleep.
• Black raisins: Keep some black raisins in water and keep it overnight. Next day morning strain and drink the clear water.
• Dry gooseberry and turmeric powder, added with honey, should be taken early in the morning, preferably in empty stomach.
• About one tea-spoon dry bay leaves powder in a warm glass of water, taken for 1-2 weeks, helps control the glucose level in blood.
• 1/2 tsp of ground bay leaf and 1/2 tsp turmeric with 1 tablespoon aloe-vera gel is to be taken twice a day before lunch and dinner.
• Butea leaves are another natural remedy for diabetes. Butea leaves can be boiled in water and consumed when cold.
• Soya bean in diet is rich in calcium, proteins and Vitamin A, which effectively help get rid of diabetes.
• Water boiled with fresh mango leaves in it is an effective home remedy for diabetes.
• Curry leaves help reduce weight for the obese and hence passing sugar in urine reduces over a period of few months.
• Take water boiled with cinnamon.
• Tinospora: Boil the stem pieces in 500 ml of water for about 30 minutes. Drink 50 ml of this tinospora extract twice daily for a month.

Additional care to be taken in daily life to stabilize and treat diabetes:

• Stop intake of sugar, white-flour products, greasy food, meat, eggs, cheese, excess vegetable oil, as well as rancid nuts and seeds.
• Avoid tobacco.
• Onions and green beans are known to lower blood sugar.
• Do not eat fruits and melons in large amounts. Avoid apples or bananas. Avoid milk and sugar combinations. Coffee can induce very high blood-sugar levels.
• Be very regular at your meals, and do not be in a rush to swallow the food. The quicker you eat, the higher goes the blood sugar.
• Add raw garlic in daily diet.
• Food with large amounts of niacin (vitamin B3), B1 (thiamin), PABA (para-aminobenzoic acid, another B vitamin), or vitamin C should be taken lightly.
• Enough exercise improves circulation and helps lower blood sugar levels.
• Under hyperglycemia attack, the person needs fluids, electrolytes, and possibly insulin immediately.
• Hypoglycemia patients, in an emergency, drink immediately fruit juice, soft drinks, or anything else that contains sugar. Even raw sugar is advisable. Insulin dependents must carry a glucagon kit with them at all times.
• Take good care of your feet, for they can become more easily infected under diabetic conditions.
• Use artificial zero-calorie sweeteners widely available in market.

It’s rare to find an adult with absolutely no signs of diabetes. Hence, it’s advisable to take the remedial measures at home and keep the disorder as low as possible.