Posts Tagged ‘natural diabetes treatment’

Vitamin E for Diabetes

Monday, March 15th, 2010

More bad news about Avandia, a popular drug prescribed to patients with diabetes. Several studies have found that, compared to other drugs, Avandia increases risk of heart failure by 60 percent, heart attack by 40 percent, and death in patients age 65 and over by 30 percent. We’ve known for some time that this drug is killing people, but the FDA has refused to even strengthen its label warning, let alone take it off the market. Even worse, patients are being recruited for long-term studies of this dangerous drug!

If you have type 2 diabetes, avoid this drug like the plague. Diet, exercise, weight loss, and targeted nutritional supplements are the best way to control blood sugar. And to protect against diabetic complications, nothing beats nutritional supplements. Approximately 40 percent of people with diabetes have a gene variation (haptoglobin (Hp) 2-2 gene) that increases oxidative stress and doubles or triples their risk of cardiovascular disease. Israeli researchers found that when these people took 400 IU of vitamin E daily, their risk of cardiovascular events such as stroke, heart attack, and death fell by 50 percent! Vitamin E’s benefits were so profound the study was terminated early so all study participants could benefit.

Genetic tests are available, but my recommendation to anyone with diabetes is to take at least 400 IU of natural vitamin E every day. In fact, because other studies suggest that this vitamin protects against the onset of diabetes, I encourage everyone, regardless of health status, to take natural vitamin E.

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Posted in Dangerous Drugs, Diabetes, Vitamins | 1 Comment »

Lifestyle Changes More Effective Than Drugs for Diabetes

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Recent research published in the respected medical journal The Lancet confirms what I’ve been saying for years: Natural treatments for diabetes are more effective than drugs.

This 10-year follow-up study revealed that high-risk adults following a program of lifestyle changes were able to reduce their risk of developing full-blown diabetes by 58 percent. In contrast, in a comparable group given the oral diabetes drug metformin, incidence of diabetes was reduced by 31 percent.

Though conventional medicine relies heavily on oral diabetes drugs, these medications are replete with serious side effects including cardiovascular problems such as heart attack and stroke as well as substantial weight gain. To find out that they aren’t even all that effective–on top of these risks–makes you question why such medications are ever prescribed. But that’s another story.

Here at the Whitaker Wellness Institute we focus on the following natural diabetes treatments to get blood sugar under control once and for all.

  • Weight Loss: Hands down, losing weight is the best therapy for type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately, there’s no magic bullet for weight loss. It requires diet changes, an exercise program, and determination.
  • Diet: The most therapeutic diet for diabetes is a low-glycemic, Mediterranean-style menu with lots of vegetables and lean protein, such as fish and poultry; modest amounts of fruit (one serving per day); and healthful fats like olive oil. Stay away from sugar and starches—pasta, cereals, and other grain-based foods drive up blood sugar and increase appetite.
  • Exercise: I recommend a brisk 10-minute walk after meals and several sessions of resistance exercise weekly. Walking and other forms of aerobic exercise lower blood sugar and burn calories, while resistance exercise such as weightlifting builds muscle and improves long-term insulin sensitivity.
  • Nutritional Supplements: To guard against complications of the blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys, take a potent, antioxidant-rich daily multivitamin to replace the nutrients that are inevitably lost as a result of the diabetic condition. To lower blood sugar, take vanadyl sulfate 100 mg, alpha lipoic acid 600 mg, chromium 200 mcg, cinnamon 500–1,000 mg, and Gymnema sylvestre 400 mg daily. They may be taken individually or in combination formulas.

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Posted in Diabetes, Diabetes Treatment | 1 Comment »

Do You Really Need to Test Your Blood Sugar Every Day?

Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009

Many people with type 2 diabetes are told by their doctors to test their blood sugar levels multiple times daily. This is not only inconvenient and expensive but also unnecessary—especially if you aren’t on insulin and this testing isn’t resulting in changes to your treatment.

For instance, if you aren’t using your readings to adjust your medication dosages or to identify and eliminate problems foods from your diet, then what’s the point?

Last year, two studies published in the esteemed British Medical Journal found that regular self-monitoring of glucose levels was associated with lower quality of life, increased costs, and higher rates of depression. What’s worse is that this obsessive testing did not result in better glycemic control. (For study details, click on the links below.)

http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/336/7654/1174
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/extract/336/7654/1139

Here at the Whitaker Wellness Institute, instead of regular self-testing, we monitor our patients’ A1C levels. Unlike finger-stick glucose tests, A1C reveals an average of blood sugar over the past few months. This test gives us a broader picture and allows us to determine if the diet and supplement regimens we prescribe are working effectively to keep blood sugar under control.

Instead of oral drugs or insulin, we treat our patients who have diabetes with targeted nutritional supplements and lifestyle modifications (more exercise, fewer carbohydrates, weight loss, etc.). This natural approach has helped tens of thousands of our patients say goodbye to diabetes and its debilitating complications and hello to a healthier, more vital life.

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Posted in Alternative Medicine, Diabetes, Diabetes Treatment | No Comments »