9 Natural Remedies that People with Diabetes Will Find Useful
I recently suffered debilitating headaches and brain fog to the effect that I was unable to work. Trips to the doctor yielded no results. Neither I, nor the doctor suspected diabetes because a few months prior I had normal blood sugars during tests for another problem. By the time a random blood test spotted it, my fasting blood sugars were well into the 400’s. And I was starting to feel better by then, so I knew they had been even higher. This was the beginning of a complete lifestyle change for me. I wanted to be around and enjoy watching my grandchildren grow up, so something had to be done.
I immediately started researching herbal treatments, as well as diets for diabetics. Some of my more significant findings are presented here.
Diabetes is presented as a progressive disease with a lifelong sentence of drugs and watching your diet. However, I found that many herbal remedies have benefits similar to the pharmaceutical drugs, without the side effects. And I discovered that complete control of your blood sugar is possible with the right diet.
The remedies presented here are effective for Type 2 Diabetes and may be helpful for Type 1 Diabetes. Consult your doctor when using these remedies, you may need your medicines reduced or adjusted.
Cassia Cinnamon
Casisia Cinnamon can dramatically lower fasting blood sugar levels and improve insulin sensitivity.
A recent study published in the American Diabetes Association Journal found that taking 1 to 6 grams of cinnamon daily produced a significant decrease in plasma glucose levels, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
The full effects are seen over time. The study lasted for 40 days, with improvement ranging from an 18 to 29% reduction in glucose values by the end of the study. Serum triglyceride levels decreased too.
Six grams of cinnamon a day seems like a lot, but I aim to use about 2 grams per meal. You can add it to food and put it in a smoothie or your tea. If you don’t like the flavor or find it challenging to take 2 grams at each meal, pack the cinnamon into gelatin capsules. Each capsule holds about 500 mg, so take 4 at each meal.
Amla or Indian Gooseberry
A 2015 paper published in the Research Journal of Recent Sciences affirms the potential benefits of using Amla or Indian Gooseberry to lower blood sugar levels.
Amla is available at ethnic stores in many different forms.
I have used both pickled gooseberries and powdered amla with positive results. You only need a small amount, about equal to one gooseberry daily.
Bitter Melon or Bitter Gourd
Bitter Melon acts to lower blood glucose levels and regulates insulin use by the body. Eating a bite or two of bitter melon with each meal is all you need, or you can take bitter melon extract.
Bitter melon is known to also prevent complications of diabetes, including kidney damage, heart complications, eye problems, blood vessel damage, and hormone problems.
According to a 2013 review of Antidiabetic effects of Momordica charantia (bitter melon) and its medicinal potency, evidence suggests that bitter melon helps the pancreas to heal, produce more insulin, and use insulin more efficiently.
Aloe Vera
Aloe Vera has been touted as a cure for most everything, but much of its fame is well deserved. This plant produces a gel inside the leaf that has all the medicinal benefits.
A few people are allergic to Aloe Vera and should not use it, but for most it has plenty of benefits. A 2012 review of research published in Natural Medicine Journal discussed its use in many healing roles.
Aloe Vera reduces the inflammation that is associated with diabetes. It also normalizes enzymatic activity to reduce blood sugar and works with other herbs or diabetes medications to increase their benefits. It is also helpful in healing diabetics wounds when applied directly to the wound.
To harvest Aloe Vera from the plant, cut the plant leaf and split it open to scrape the gel from the center. A daily dose of two tablespoons taken orally is enough to get the full benefits. Commercial preparations may be of benefit, but their use is untested.
Greater Burdock Root
Greater Burdock Root has many beneficial effects on the body. It improves the digestion and lowers blood sugar in diabetics.
Fresh root has the most effect, but powdered root can also be used. Peel fresh root and boil it or cook it in some way, or use 1 to 2 grams of powdered root per dose.
Take burdock root with each meal. Fresh burdock root also helps prevent and heal diabetic complications, such as diabetic neuropathy and eye problems.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek has saponins, alkaloids, phenolic acids, and other ingredients that increase the release of insulin and improve the use of insulin in the body.
It helps improve insulin resistance and stimulates glycolysis.
Common dosages are 25 to 100 g of powdered fenugreek seeds, or 1 to 6 grams of extract daily. These amounts can be used in food or taken in capsule form.
Ginseng
Ginseng, including American Ginseng, has a variety of benefits for diabetics. It helps regulate blood sugar and promotes the secretion of insulin, which reduces and smooths out post-meal spikes.
It also contains antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce the progression of diabetes.
Ginseng helps with some of the related problems of diabetes, also. It helps lower high blood pressure and provides protection to the heart and eyes when used regularly.
Water Plantain
This is not the banana-like fruit known as plantain, but a water plant that grows in moist, swamp-like conditions. Once you’ve located a source, you can eat it as part of your daily diet.
Fresh and dried water plantain roots are medicinal, along with the leaves and seeds. All parts of the plant should be cooked before use and taken daily for best results.
Water plantain lowers blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics and improves insulin use in the body. It is also beneficial to other organs to prevent complications from diabetes. Water plantain is beneficial to the kidneys and liver, preventing or treating fatty liver. It improves blood pressure and associated heart problems, and aids the digestion.
Diet
My husband has been a diabetic for several years now. He gained good control of his blood sugar levels by eating a very low fat, plant-based diet, but it did not work well enough for me when I was first diagnosed. My blood sugar levels were initially way out of control and the plant-based diet brought them down, but not enough. I was going to need some serious drugs.
I happened on some information on using the keto diet for diabetes and tried it. Keto worked like a charm for me. Now we both eat a keto diet and our fasting blood glucose levels are in the normal range (80-120) without any diabetes medications. Our post-meal numbers rapidly return to normal.
The two diets are totally opposite to each other, but both work. When used with the herbal remedies recommended above, you may find excellent results in treating type 2 diabetes without medications. I now need no supplements, but my husband still takes them. He had been a diabetic for many years before starting the diet, so he may need longer to kick the supplements. But the plant-based diet allowed him to get off the two prescription drugs that were tearing up his digestive system and, honestly, not helping very much.
The plant-based diet is high carbohydrates and very low fat, while the keto diet is high fat and low carbs. It seems to me that the answer lies in not eating carbohydrates and fat together, but I have nothing to support that belief.
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Thank you Diane, your article gave me hope to concur diabetes, I can’t thank you enough.
God Bless you and your family.
Sharilyn
Hi Sharlyn,
Thank you so much for your kind words. We really appreciate it. We are really glad you find this article useful.
God bless!
how can i narrow a topic for an expository essay? well as enormously improve its quality. A. First, you should think how you can narrow your topic, make it more specific, divide it one several smaller
Keep the messages coming
Hi Jane,
Thank you so much for your feedback. We really appreciate it.
God bless!
Thank you. This was a very informative article.
Hi Nancy,
Thank you so much for your kind words. We are so glad you like it.
God bless!
Thank you for this information. I have studied under Dr Eric Berg. He recommends a Keto diet with intermittent fasting. The fasting has helped me more than anything. I eat twice a day around 12:00 and then again at 4:00. I do not put anything else in my mouth during the other time which gives me a long time of fasting. I eat high fat, grass-fed butter, coconut oil and olive oil. I eat organic and make my own bread from scratch grinding my own grains. My weight stays at 125 and I’m 5 ft 9. My body is basically healing itself by eating correctly. Fermenting Foods is also another good thing.
Is there any supplements that combine all 9 herbs for diabetes?
Hi Randi,
I don’t think there is such a supplement. But I am sure you can find each item online and maybe you can make your own amazing supplement.
God bless!
Have you looked into CuraLin?
Where can i buy the herbs?
Hi Melissa,
You can find all of them online on Amazon or other online stores. But you should first try a local herbalist. This way you know for sure the origin of the herbs.
God bless!
WE have been a border line diabetic, on and off for years. The above mentioned herb sound like something we would like to try. Some like cinnamon; aloe vera, and ginseng, we have heard of, and can be acquire locally. Where can we learn how much is too much or too little, or what can we blend.
Have a Blessed Day
Hi William,
Thank you so much for your comment. We are really glad you found the article useful.
God bless!
Thank you for this article. I have recently been told that I am pre-diabetic with an A1C of 6.1. I am over weight, but I lost 12 lbs in 3 weeks when I was told this. I only check my sugar 2 times a week but when I do it’s around 120. My doctor says that’s to high. So I am now taking 500 mg ext. rel. Metform once a day. I am 53 and on my first medication. I am very disappointed in myself. I have been good about eating the diabetic diet, 45 carbs per meal and 2 snacks a day at 15 carbs with only water or coffee no sugar or sweet creams. I was told that’s not good enough. At this point I’m afraid to put anything in my mouth! I’m going to try adding the above to my regimen in hopes that it will work. I love anything natural and always feel better about it over prescription meds. As a Massage Therapist I strongly believe in going the natural route first. Thank you again for sharing!
Hi Keri,
Thank you so much for your comment and for sharing your experience.
It is important to trust your inner doctor as well.
God bless!
Keri, don’t stress, you’ll be ok. Just stay away from processed sugars. There are many good natural sweeteners that are totally safe and do not spike your glucose. I have proven it to my Doctor. I use raw honey, or Monk fruit. I think the reason it doesn’t have major negative effect is because natural sugars are generally “long chain” carbohydrates that are eliminated from our bodies before they are totally broken down. I promise you; exercise is the key!
Thank you for all the work put into your articles!!! I enjoy getting them!! I am learning so much from you, and I’m so excited to start my new life with nature’s medicine this year!!!!!
Hi Dorene,
Thank you so much for your kind words! I appreciate it.
I hope your nature medicine path will be filled with discoveries!
God bless!
I’m a type 2 diabetic after being hypoglycemic in my younger years. What I appreciate about your article is that there are many different ways to help treat it. I think that is due to plants that are the same and different growing all over the world and at different times. That way, we are able to obtain a variety of medicines to help keep us healthy at any point of time. That is the way humans have survived for so long on earth and how we are blessed by nature. I believe that having food from the grocery available at anytime shipped from anywhere has allowed us to get lazy about feeding ourselves with the knowledge to take care of ourselves. I think we used to understand the uses of plants for health but now just consider them for flavoring. I was thinking about this when I heard that Americans have lost the use of ‘bitter’ foods that people around the world still have. That would explain a lot. Thank you again for sharing your knowledge.
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much for your comment.
Alternative medicine has been used for a long time and after all, it was the most efficient option used by humans.
God bless!
Water Plantain the scientific name is Echinodorus grandiflorus is a miracle plant,We can use as tea or tincture, the medicinal use is for diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, kidney infection,blood cleanse and others,specially if the person wants stops to smoke or to free from addictions.
In south America is very common in the natural remedies in the USA We can find as Aquatic Plants
I found in the Bruce Plant .
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I’ve been a diabetic for several years now and I am so sick of taking pills. I have been reading a lot of info to see what I can do to get off the pills. Thank you so much. I have an aloe Vera plant that I will start using instead of just watching it grow!
I have a question regarding this article, “9 Natural Remedies That People With Diabetes Will Find Useful” My question is do you use all 9 of these herbs each day, or just select a few to take together? I’m on Xig-Duo and an injectable medicine called Victoza and have been a diabetic diagnosed 20 years ago. I would love to be able to treat this naturally. I just don’t understand if I should take all of this each day or not? Thank you so much for all of the articles and “how to diy videos”. I love this information!
I have a friend who had taken traditional medicine and a diet plan from Nze Njoku Herbal Home on google to treat Arthritis and High Blood Pressure and for some years now he looks normal. From severe pain always a sick guy Now he looks so healthy and enjoying normal productive life😊 Praise God
I have low blood sugar. Each morning when I first wake I dro k my carrot/coconut water drink to bring my sugar up. I eat 6 small meals daily to keep it up, and take chromium picolinate 1pill daily. Are there any herbs to support low blood sugar?