Diabetes Mellitus

Diabetes mellitus results when your body doesn't adequately regulate the sugar levels in your blood. More than a half million new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Up to 50 percent of the people who have diabetes do not know it. It affects people of all ages races and income levels. There are two major forms.

Type 1 (insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM]) usually occurs before age 30. Only about 10 percent of diabetes cases are type 1.

Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM]) usually occurs over age 40 and accounts for about 90 percent of cases.

Signs and Symptoms

• Frequent urination thirst that does not go away frequent eating rapid weight loss and high blood sugar levels occurring together
• Increased susceptibility to infection
• Fatigue or weakness
• Blurred vision
• Itching numbness and tingling in the hands and feet
• Leg cramps

What Causes It?

You are more likely to have type 1 diabetes if you have a family history of diabetes thyroid disease other endocrine diseases or an autoimmune disease. Drinking cow's milk in infancy has been linked to juvenile diabetes.

The following factors put you more at risk for type 2 diabetes.

• Being overweight
• Leading a sedentary lifestyle
• Eating a diet high in fat and calories
• Being over age 40
• Having a family history of diabetes or endocrine diseases

What to Expect at Your Provider's Office

Your health care provider will take a blood test to measure your blood sugar level. He or she may talk to you about starting an exercise program and changing your diet.

Treatment Options

Treatment Plan

Your health care provider will create a treatment plan for you. The plan will include a modified diet and a regular exercise program. You will learn how to use a home glucose meter to monitor your blood sugar (glucose) level. You may need to adjust your blood sugar level with diet exercise an oral hypoglycemic medication or insulin injections. Insulin is a substance that is produced by the body that helps regulate blood sugar.

Drug Therapies

Prescription

• Insulin injections—for type I diabetes to adjust blood sugar level; some people with type II diabetes eventually become entirely insulin dependent
• Oral hypoglycemic medication—for type II diabetes to adjust blood sugar level

Over the Counter

N/A

Complementary and Alternative Therapies

Alternative therapies can play an important role in preventing some of the serious complications that may be caused by diabetes. A combination of herbs and nutrition can be quite helpful. Regular exercise is very important.

Nutrition

• The classic diet to control diabetes is high in complex carbohydrates and fiber. Some people however achieve better glucose control with a high-protein diet with very few carbohydrates.
• Essential fatty-acids can help your body use insulin better and can help prevent cardiovascular and neurological complications of diabetes. Evening primrose oil (2 000 mg twice a day) or fish oil (1 200 mg bid) is the best way to get these fatty acids.
• OPCs (oligomericprocyanidins) such as pycnogenol or grape seed extracts help support vascular health.
• B-complex vitamins—biotin (300 mcg) B₁ (50 to 100 mg) B₂ (50 mg) B₃ (100 mg) B₆ (50 to 100 mg) B₁₂ (100 to 1 000 mcg) and folate (400 mcg per day)—help control blood sugar levels.
• Vitamin C (2 to 3 g per day) may prevent certain complications.
• Vitamin E (400 IU per day) may reduce insulin requirements. Start at 100 IU and gradually increase the dose.
• Brewer's yeast contains chromium which may improve glucose tolerance and glutathione an antioxidant (9 g or 3 tbsp. brewer's yeast per day and/or 200 mcg chromium).
• Magnesium (400 mg per day) may help the arteries.
• Manganese (500 to 1 000 mcg) may help stabilize blood sugar levels.
• Zinc (30 mg per day) may decrease glucose levels.
• Coenzyme Q10 (50 to 100 mg twice a day) is depleted in people with diabetes. It also helps your body use fatty acids better.
• Vanadium (5 to 10 mg per day) can normalize cholesterol.
• Chromium picolinate (200 mcg) may normalize sugar metabolism.

Herbs

Herbs may be used as dried extracts (capsules powders teas) glycerites (glycerine extracts) or tinctures (alcohol extracts). Unless otherwise indicated teas should be made with 1 tsp. herb per cup of hot water. Steep covered 5 to 10 minutes for leaf or flowers and 10 to 20 minutes for roots. Drink 2 to 4 cups per day. Tinctures may be used alone or in combination as noted. Herbs for diabetes include the following.

• Garlic (Allium sativum)
• Onion (Allium cepa)
• Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus)
• Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum)

Bilberry and fenugreek equal parts can be used as 1 cup tea three times per day or 30 to 60 drops tincture three times per day.

Cayenne (Capsicum annum): 0.075 percent capsaicin cream on the skin can decrease pain from nerve damage in two to four weeks.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy may be useful as a supportive therapy.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture can relieve your symptoms and increase your vitality.

Massage

Massage may be helpful in relieving stress which can stabilize your blood sugar level and maintain healthy circulation.

Following Up

Successful treatment of diabetes requires working with your provider.

Special Considerations

Glucose control is important before becoming pregnant. Do not take oral hypoglycemic medicines during pregnancy. In addition gestational diabetes can occur during pregnancy and cause complications if left untreated. Gestational diabetes usually goes away after the baby is born.

Supporting Research

Anderson RA Cheng N Bryden NA et al. Elevated intakes of supplemental chromium improve glucose and insulin variables in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes. 1997;46:1786–1791.

Blumenthal M ed. The Complete German Commission E Monographs. Boston Mass: Integrative Medicine Communications; 1998:134 176.

Boden G Chen X Igbal N. Acute lowering of plasma fatty acids lowers basal insulin secretion in diabetic and nondiabetic subjects. Diabetes. 1998;47:1609–1612.

Cohen N Halberstam M Shlimovich P Chang CJ Shamoon H Rossetti L. Oral vanadyl sulfate improves hepatic and peripheral insulin sensitivity in patients with with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. J Clin Invest. 1995;95:2501–2509.

Gruenwald J Brendler T Jaenicke C et al eds. PDR for Herbal Medicines. Montvale NJ: Medical Economics Company; 1998:1201.

Hirsch IB Atchley DH Tsai E et al. Ascorbic acid clearance in diabetic nephropathy. J Diabet Complications. 1998;12:259–263.

Koutsikos D Agroyannis B Tzanatos-Exarchou H. Biotin for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Biomed Pharmacother. 1990;44:511–514.

Noble J. Textbook of Primary Care Medicine. 2nd ed. St Louis Mo: Mosby-Year Book; 1996.

Perossini M et al. Diabetic and hypertensive retinopathy therapy with Vaccinum myrtillus anthocyanosides (Tegens): double blind placebo controlled clinical trial. Annali di Ottalmaologia e Clinica Ocaulistica. 1987;CXII.

Poucheret P Verma S Grynpas MD McNeill JH. Vanadium and diabetes. Mol Cell Biochem. 1998;188:73–80.

Tandan R et al. Topical capsaicin in painful diabetic neuropathy. Controlled study with long-term follow-up. Diabetes Care. 1992;15:8–14.

Thibodeau GA Patton KT. Anatomy and Physiology. 4th ed. St Louis Mo: Mosby-Year Book; 1999.

Tierney Jr LM McPhee SJ Papadakis MA eds. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. 33rd ed. Norwalk Conn: Appleton & Lange; 1994.

Ziegler D Hanefeld M Ruhnau KJ et al. Treatment of symptomatic diabetic peripheral neuropathy with the anti-oxidant slpha-lipoc acid. A 3-week randomized controlled trial. Diabetologia. 1995;38:1425–1433.

Ziegler D Schatz H Conrad F Gries FA Ulrich H Reichel G. Effects of treatment with the antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid on cardiac autonomic neuropathy in NIDDM patients. A 4-month randomized controlled multicenter trial. Diabetes Care. 1997;20:369–373.

Copyright © 2000 Integrative Medicine Communications

The publisher does not accept any responsibility for the accuracy of the information or the consequences arising from the application use or misuse of any of the information contained herein including any injury and/or damage to any person or property as a matter of product liability negligence or otherwise. No warranty expressed or implied is made in regard to the contents of this material. No claims or endorsements are made for any drugs or compounds currently marketed or in investigative use. This material is not intended as a guide to self-medication. The reader is advised to discuss the information provided here with a doctor pharmacist nurse or other authorized healthcare practitioner and to check product information (including package inserts) regarding dosage precautions warnings interactions and contraindications before administering any drug herb or supplement discussed herein.