Diabetes

[starchief]

Just thought I'd share a few 'treatments' for diabetes Type II. Naturally, it's always best to go to your doctor but there are certain other things you can do. BTW, I'm not a doctor (well, I am but not a medical doctor), so none of this info is reliable - do your own research. I take no responsibility.

Cinnamon

I've had a lot of success with this. The recommended dose is around 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon a day as more can be poisonous. Although, it takes years to accumulate in the fatty tissues to be anything like a problem, so I'm a bit more cavalier. It's also the soluble part (which isn't poisonous), so I regularly put a cinnamon teabag in my coffee (I do it for taste now too). Well, actually, I use barley coffee substitute as coffee isn't too good for diabetics (Coffee & diabetes) I've found the grains (in cereal or coffee) to be far more effective than the soluble. To get most of the soluble requires boiling and draining. Oh, and it's the cheaper cinnamon cassia not the more expensive true cinnamon that's best.

Bitter Melon

This is prescribed by doctors around the world and does have a measurable effect. It's more usual to have the leaves and flowers dried and in a tea. It does taste exactly like a bitter melon but wow, is it bitter!!! You can actually get to like it but I'm more of a coffee man, so wasn't for me. There's also the fruit that's eaten in some countries. I did buy it but just couldn't bring myself to eat it!

Chromium

Most diabetics have been found to have low levels and this can be taken in pill format. I've tried it but not for long enough to be able to judge.

Fenugreek

Again can be very bitter in food (normally curry). Strangely, it's used out here in Egypt, where a spoon of the whole seeds is used as a tea (helba). The result is quite rounded and not bitter at all. The seeds can be used again, or eaten with a bit of sweetener.

Apple Cider Vinegar

The recommendation is to drink a teaspoon morning and night. I tried it but soon gave up. Now I use it instead of normal vinegar.

There's a few others (Natural Remedies for Diabetes) but the easy ones are onion and garlic.

[Johnboy]

Interesting...

Are you taking any additional prescribed medication such as tablets to control your blood/glucose levels?

Edited March 6, 2009 by Johnboy

[starchief]

Yeah, I do but I'm in the desert in Egypt most of the time, so I don't have the option of doddling down to the doc for some tests if I'm feeling bad. I found my sugar was getting too high a year or two ago, so tried the cinnamon (about a teaspoon or two). I then had a hypo (<4) that day (normally I'd be over normal >10).