3 Great Diabetes Herbs To Help Regulate Your Blood Sugar Levels

Diabetes, a.k.a. diabetes mellitus, is a chronic disorder of carbohydrate, fat and protein metabolism. This means that the amount of glucose in the blood gets too high because the body cannot properly regulate it.

This is either due to the pancreas not producing any insulin or not enough to help glucose enter the cells in the body. In some forms of diabetes, insulin is produced but it doesn’t work properly.

Diabetes can cause other complications such as arterial plaque, heart disease and stroke, kidney disease, and nerve degeneration. There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2.

There are some great diabetes herbs you can use to control blood sugar levels and help you keep the condition in check.

Ginseng

Ginseng is a great diabetes herb. Traditionally, this herbal remedy has been used in Chinese medicine for many different conditions because of its great immune boosting qualities. Especially useful is the American ginseng, according to Mother Earth Living. They reported in 2004 about extensive studies conducted by the University of Toronto that saw American ginseng helping in controlling diabetes and especially lowering the sugar spikes in blood after meals.

In the University of Toronto’s study in 2000, a single 3-gram capsule of the extract reduced the rise in blood sugar. Diabetics received beneficial results even when they took ginseng 40 minutes before eating, as well as if they took it together with their meal. The same research group did a subsequent study a year later and got the same results even with one gram of ginseng consumed. This makes it a great diabetes herb to add into your daily consumption.

Gurmar leaf

Traditionally, gurmar leaf has been used in Ayurvedic medicine. This climbing shrub is believed to be a great diabetes herb. According to Health India reporting in 2013, gurmar leaf contains saponins and gymnemic acids that are both very anti-diabetic in their behavior. The gymnemic acids have the ability to reduce the amount of sugar being absorbed by the intestine during digestion.

Health India writes that when you chew the gurmar leaves, your power to sense the sweetness of foods is greatly reduced, and this is why researchers find it to be a great remedy in suppressing appetite. Controlling the appetite is beneficial to diabetics because it helps them to reduce the amount of sugars they consume. The article also reports that gymnema seems to increase the amount of insulin secreted by the pancreas.

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