Use natural herbs for diabetes to control and lower the sugar levels in the blood. It is said the herbs and spices on this planet have plenty of properties to lower the glucose levels in those people with type 2 diabetes. These herbs are also useful to those people who are at high risk to have type 2 diabetes.
Here in this article, we talk more about how to reduce sugar levels through home remedies.
There are studies on herbal therapies giving evidence that the usage of herbals and spices is on the rise to control especially type 2 diabetics. Six percent of the United States population (about 16 million people) are living with diabetes. The majority of diabetes cases are type 2 diabetes.
Let us outline what is type 2 diabetes in brief and its causes and symptoms before we proceed to the home remedies for type 2 diabetes.
Table of Contents
What is type 2 diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is where the cells show insulin resistance. Hence, cells do not recognize the signals from insulin to absorb glucose for energy. This makes the pancreas continues to produce more insulin and in the long run, it gets worn out. The end result is sugar levels going up in the blood.
Type 2 Diabetes Causes
These are the main type 2 diabetes causes:-
- Genes – Due to hereditary people develop type 2 diabetes. It can occur at any age
- Damaged insulin-producing cells in pancreas glands – These cells sends insulin into the blood at the wrong times and result in unbalanced sugar level in the blood
- Overweight – Obesity causes insulin resistance and leads to developing type 2 diabetes
- Liver producing excess sugar – The Liver store and sends sugar out to the blood when there are low sugar levels in the blood. In some people, the liver continues to send out sugar and increases the sugar levels in the blood.
- Bad communication among cells – Wrong signals or not understanding signals right to absorb glucose from the blood causes more or less production of insulin from pancreas glands. Eventually, this causes type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 Diabetes Symptoms
Diabetes symptoms in women
- Vaginal and oral yeast infections and vaginal thrush – Candid fungus cause this infection. The high glucose levels in the blood activate faster growth of fungus in the vaginal area.
- Urinary infections – UTI risk is higher in people who have diabetes. Never leave UTI untreated to avoid having infections in the kidney. Refer to UTI home remedies and UTI symptoms for details.
- Female sexual dysfunction – High glucose levels in the blood can affect nerve fibers. This can trigger numbness in the hands, legs, and feet. It also can affect the senses in the vaginal area affecting women’s sex drive.
- Polycystic ovary syndrome – High level of glucose level in the blood poses a high risk of having this Polycystic ovary syndrome. The cause of this disorder is that the adrenal gland is producing different levels of hormones. Symptoms of Polycystic ovary syndrome are irregular periods, acne, depression, and weight gain.
Diabetes symptoms in men
- Erectile dysfunction – This is short called ED. Those who have ED find it difficult to maintain or achieve an expected erection. Men with diabetes will have more risk of having Erectile dysfunction.
- Retrograde Ejaculation – This condition is where the semen gets released into the bladder partly and therefore noticeably having less semen getting released during ejaculation.
- Urologic Issues conditions – Like unable to control urination, overactive bladder, and urinary tract infections.
Men can reduce the various risks of diabetes by changing their lifestyle with the right diet, exercising, stopping smoking, controlling their weight, right blood pressure, and controlling cholesterols levels.
Diabetes symptoms common to men and women
- Feeling tired
- Peeing often and a lot
- Feeling thirsty often
- Blurry vision
- Feeling numbness in your hands or feet
- Wounds taking longer to heal or not healing
- Repeated Yeast infections
- Getting irritated often even for small things
Natural Herbs for Diabetes type 2
Here are the natural herbs for type 2 diabetes treatments:
1. Aloe Vera for type 2 Diabetes
Aloe Vera is very popular among women, particularly for applications in various beauty and health products. This herb is used for a generation of herbal medicines mainly because of its revitalizing, healing, and calming properties present in it.
As you know the gel of Aloe Vera is hugely used worldwide in products such as Ointments, lotions, creams, shampoos, and so on. The liquid Aloe Vera is known as Aloe Latex. Aloe latex is extracted from aloe vera leaves. Companies add this to toothpaste, mouthwash, juice, capsules, and tablets for use for various purposes.
People do drink aloe vera juice to manage their glucose levels in the blood. Because of its effective healing properties, the intake of aloe vera is now an increase among people especially those with type 2 diabetes. The main contributors in aloe vera to reduce glucose levels in the blood are believed to be the compounds called mannans, anthraquinones, and lectins.
Main characteristics of Aloe Vera in relation to type 2 diabetes
- Aloe Vera intake reduces triglycerides which are the most common fats in our body. People with type 2 diabetes condition will usually have a high level of triglycerides in the blood. This may cause fatty buildup in the arteries of those having low HDL and high LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Finally, it increases the risk of having a heart attack and stroke.
- People with type 2 diabetes take a longer time to heal from wounds, ulcers, inflammations, and other similar conditions. Aloe Vera becomes very handy and its properties help these conditions by speeding up the healing process.
This gel also assists in the healing of constipation, and pain, clearing scars, oral hygiene, and maintaining the good health of the skin and digestive system.
Aloe vera value-added capsules, tablets, toothpaste, mouthwash, and other types of products are available in pharmacies or branded shops like Barett, The Body Shop, Holland, and other health food stores.
Applications of Aloe Vera for type 2 diabetes
Take one tablespoon of Aloe Vera juice every day to normalize the insulin in the blood. This will assist in lowering sugar levels.
Apply Aloe Vera gel directly on the inflammations, irritation, and boils caused by diabetics for speedy healing. Aloe Vera is a natural herb for diabetes treatment.
2. Bilberry Extract
The Bilberry fruit’s scientific name is Vaccinium. One of the compounds is Anthocyanoside which helps to promote blood vessel strength. Strengthening blood vessels protects the retinal damage to vessels. It also lowers glucose levels in the blood.
Bilberries fruits in appearance look dark in blue, smaller in size, and softer. The Anthocyanosides compound is high in bilberries. Also in other berries such as blue, purple and red, and purple vegetables.
This special fruit provides many benefits including strengthening blood vessels, improving blood circulation, lowering sugar levels in the blood, treating retinopathy, and treating diarrhea.
Diabetics are more prone to developing retinopathy or maculopathy retina conditions. Here where bilberry extracts come to play by strengthening blood vessels to protect them from such conditions.
3. Bitter Melon for treating Diabetes
Bitter Melon (Momordica Charantia) is very common in India. This fruit or vegetable has many medicinal properties with vital vitamins and minerals. Bitter Melon grows well mostly in tropical regions like Asia, parts of Africa, South America, and the Caribbean.
For ages, bitter melon has been used as a natural herbal remedy for many health conditions and it has not been left out of treating type 2 diabetes conditions as well. The main anti-diabetic active properties of bitter melon are Charantin, Polypeptide-p, and Vicine.
Charantin – This is a chemical substance that helps to lower glucose levels in the blood.
Polypeptide-p – This is an insulin-like polypeptide and has Antidiabetic effects.
A recent study has shown taking 1000 to 2000 mg of bitter melon per day is effective in lowering blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
How to take bitter lemon for type 2 diabetes?
Drink bitter melon in the form of a juice, smoothie, or as part of your meals.
Bitter melon as part of the meals
Remove the skin, and seeds and then cut them into chunks. You could boil, roast, steam, or fry a little the cut chunks. Serve it as a side dish of your meal. Bitter Melon chunks are ideal for adding to stews or soups.
To reduce the bitterness of the bitter melon, put the cut chunks in boiling water for a few minutes. Then drain it and continue to cook the way you wanted to.
Bitter Melon Juice and Smoothie
Remove the skin, and seeds and then cut them into small chunks. Thereafter, put them in a juicer to extract the juice. Add the extracted juice to your smoothie recipe to make a smoothie. To reduce the bitterness of the bitter melon, add a little lemon, ginger, or stevia sweetener to the smoothie.
Bitter Melon Tea
Some stores have bitter melon tea sachets. About 3 cups of bitter melon tea a day will help in lowering your sugar levels.
4. Cinnamon to Regulate Blood Glucose Levels
Cinnamon is a spice that comes from the inner bark of several tree species of the genus Cinnamomum. These trees grow well in tropical regions such as South Asia, South America, and the Caribbean. The true cinnamon is the Ceylon Cinnamon which is much popular in usage and research.
Cinnamon has been there for a generation and is in use as an ingredient in cooking and treating several health conditions including diabetes. According to certain studies, cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity and betters the blood glucose and cholesterol levels of people with type 2 diabetes.
In one of the studies where volunteers participated and took daily up to 6 grams of cinnamon for 40 days. The results were as expected and it reduced glucose and cholesterol levels in the blood of the volunteers.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a study reveals that the compound extracted from cinnamon makes cells more insulin sensitive.
5. Fenugreek Seeds and Their Effects on Diabetes
Fenugreek can help lower blood sugar by slowing down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. It is known to be an annual plant of the Fabaceae family. The leaves are formed of three tiny obovate to rectangular leaflets.
Fenugreek plant leaves and seeds are popular ingredients for dishes in South Asia. The fenugreek seeds are highly in use in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicines.
Fenugreek seeds play a major role in lowering blood sugar because it has highly soluble fiber. Soluble fiber normally slows down digestion and as a result, slows down carbohydrates. Due to this reason, Fenugreek seeds increase glucose tolerance and are hence considered effective in treating diabetes.
6. Ginger for Diabetes
Ginger can help with glycemic control, insulin secretion, and cataract protection. It is an herbal flowering plant and its root is commonly called ginger. Ginger is in use in medicine since ancient times for various health conditions.
Regular intake of this special herb is capable of lowering blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes.
7. Okra
Okra or Okoro also known as ladies’ fingers is a flowering plant of the mallow family. It is becoming one of the popular superfoods and an herbal remedy for type 2 diabetes and cancer.
Okoro is rich in anti-diabetic properties with vitamins and minerals. It is more effective when okra chunks are soaked in water overnight and then drunk in the mornings. Interestingly, Turkey had the tradition of eating roasted okra seeds to treat diabetes for generations.
The secret of okra to reducing the sugar levels in the blood is it has soluble fiber. The soluble fiber slows down the sugar absorption from carbohydrates from the intestinal tract.
8. Garlic for type 2 diabetes
One of the medicinal substances called allium in garlic is what helps to reduce the sugar level in the blood. Allium increases secretion and slows down the degradation of insulin in the blood whilst reducing glucose levels.
Takeaway
Natural herbs for diabetes and home remedies are good to cure type 2 diabetes by lowering glucose levels in the blood. However, those with type 2 diabetes should monitor the quantity intake to good balance their requirements.
If you overdo natural herbs for diabetes it may end up dangerously reducing the sugar levels in the blood. Therefore increase the risk of having diabetes complications.
Life is not so difficult by treating diabetes in the right manner. Always consult your doctor and share your experiences with natural therapies so they could guide you better on the intake to control type 2 diabetes.
Is there a tea or other items that are all in one? Do you alternate the herbs?
You can benefit from many types of tea that demonstrate to have anti-diabetic properties. Here is a quick list of teas that could help in their own way. Green tea, Black tea, Hibiscus tea, Cinnamon tea, Turmeric tea, Chamomile tea and, Lemon balm tea. Let us soon do a little more research and publish an article with evidence to help the readers.