Control Your Blood Sugar With Natural Supplements

Diabetes is an inflammatory condition caused by the autoimmune system, and manifests as resting hyperglycemia. Your blood glucose levels have to be maintained within fine concentration limits: both too high and too low a blood glucose concentration can be dangerous to your well being.

Your blood glucose level is generally controlled by insulin and glucagons, both of which are biosynthesized in the pancreas. Insulin works by making the glucose bioavailable to the mitochondria to convert into energy, while glucagon, the lesser known of this twosome, stabilizes the level of insulin and mobilizes it to do its job. There are two types of diabetes, known as Type I and Type II or A and B.

Type I diabetes, also known as juvenile onset diabetes, is an autoimmune condition in which the immune system destroys Beta cells because they are recognized as being foreign. It is the Beta cells that generate insulin, and so the condition can be fatal. Patients with Type I diabetes must take insulin throughout their lives, and while potential cures are currently under investigation, none are yet available. Although insulin can be effective it does not guarantee survival, and a better form of treatment is required.

Type II diabetes is by far the more common of the two, and is a form of resistance to insulin, where the body cells cannot use insulin properly. The pancreas initially reacts to this by producing more insulin in response to the increased blood glucose level, but through time it loses its ability to produce insulin as a reaction to an increase in blood sugar, even though this occurs as a result of digesting a meal.

The exact causes of either type of diabetes are not known for sure, although the general mechanism by which they work is known. However, Type II diabetes is believed to be due to some form of interaction between genetics and environment, and it is known that the majority of Type II sufferers are obese and also over 40.

The treatment for this type of diabetes is rarely insulin, but a controlled diet, control of your cholesterol level and blood pressure, exercise and specific medicines designed for sufferers of this form of diabetes. However, there are also natural supplements that can be used to control your blood sugar levels. Diabetes was the sixth leading cause of death of the USA in 1999, with 450,000 deaths, and by 2005 had reached about 300 million sufferers world wide. It is therefore a serious and widespread condition, though Type II is less serious than Type I.

It is important to do what you can to control your diabetes, since after several years it can lead to problems with your nerves, eyes, kidneys and gums, and can also lead to heart disease. With diabetes you are at least twice as likely to have a stroke or heart problem as those without it, although you can reduce the risk of this by keeping your blood pressure under control, and the levels of fats in your blood to a minimum. Stopping smoking helps, and there are some natural treatments that can also help you control your diabetes.

The most important means of control is to reduce your blood sugar levels. While there are natural products that will help you to do that, do not stop taking the medication prescribed by your doctor, but use these in addition to what you are already taking. Among specific substances that can help are:

Chromium: chromium helps your body to use insulin properly. When taken in the form of chromium picolinate, it helps to replace chromium that diabetics appear to be short of. Human studies have indicated that chromium can decrease insulin levels and improve the metabolism of blood sugar in those with Type II diabetes. Some claim that chromium is harmful to health, but the general opinion is that it helps, though you should consult your doctor before using it.

Cinnamon: If you take cinnamon daily, your blood sugar levels should gradually decrease. It appears to enable your cells to make better use of the insulin your blood, although there still discussion as to the mechanism by which this occurs and of the active ingredient in cinnamon that promotes it. Some claim it to be a flavonoid known as methylhydroxychalcone polymer, or MHCP. However, others claim it not to be MHCP, but polyphenol type-A polymer. Whichever it is, many people are finding cinnamon to be effective in reducing high levels of blood sugar to a more manageable level.

Milk Thistle: It is known that antioxidants can help to control blood sugar, and the flavolignins in Silymarin marianum, an herbal extract available from milk thistle seeds, work in this manner. It is also good for protecting the liver from toxins. Although it is not clear how it is done, silymarin appears to help to control Type II diabetes possibly by way of liver digestion of sugars in the blood. The liver processed glucose and improving its function through the consumption of milk thistle could help reduce blood sugar as well.

Mulberry: The Chinese make what is known as “sugar control herbal tea” from mulberry leaves, green tea and jasmine. Mulberry leaves contain adenine, pectin and choline, and also high levels of Vitamins A and B types. This tea is used by the Chinese to control blood sugar levels, which might occur through the antioxidant effect of the mulberry constituents.

Salacia oblonga: This is an herb used in India and Sri Lanka that appears to cause a dramatic drop in the levels of insulin and sugar in the blood. It binds to enzymes in the intestine that break carbohydrates down into sugars, and so reduces the amount of sugar in your blood. That in turn reduces the amount of insulin released by the pancreas.

Apple Cider Vinegar: There is evidence that apple cider vinegar can help to control your blood sugar levels if taken before a meal. Just two tablespoons appears sufficient to give a noticeable result. This is one of those home remedies that might be just anecdotal, but might also work, so is worth trying.

Zinc: It has been discovered that diabetics suffer a deficiency in zinc. This mineral plays a part in the storage and production of insulin in your body, and a deficiency could cause an increase in your sugar level. Oysters, pecans, almonds, lamb and chicken are all good sources of zinc.

Glyconutrient complexes: we know that diabetes is an autoimmune disease for type I individuals. Supporting a properly function immune system requires a good diet as well as a diet rich in Glyconutrients. The polysaccharides found in glyconutrient formulas can help the immune system communicate better with the body and just possibly correct some autoimmune diseases which attach our cells.

These are the natural supplements that people are taking to help control their blood sugar and diabetes. It is important that you take nothing that interferes with the medicines given to you by your physician, so you should let your doctor know of any natural supplement that you are using in addition to your prescription medicines. However, it is possible to control your blood sugar with natural supplements, and those mentioned above are just a few of the natural substances available that can help diabetics control their condition and so avoid the side effects.