History of diabetes type 2
Diabetes type 2 has been with us for a very long time. The earliest known records of diabetes date back to ancient Egypt. Around 1550 BCE, a medical text known as the Ebers Papyrus, described a condition with symptoms resembling diabetes: frequent urination and excessive thirst. The text referred to this condition as a “disease of excessive urination.”
In ancient India, circa 600 BCE, the physician Sushruta described a condition called “Madhemeha,” characterized by sweet tasting urine, which is now understood to be a symptom of diabetes.
These early descriptions encompassed both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The term “diabetes” itself was coined much later by the Greek physician Aretaeus of Cappadocia in the second century CE.
The differentiation between type 1 and 2 diabetes wasn’t clearly understood until the 20th century.
Although, records show that diabetes has been around for 3600 years, it probably has been a medical condition for far longer; long enough for mankind to have tried and tested all sorts of herbal remedies. The planet is still richly endowed with amazing flora and it is said that there is a plant for every disease.
There are a number of interesting herbs and spices that have been scientifically proven to lower blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a powerful spice that lowers blood sugar. Studies show that 6g of cinnamon a day reduces preprandial blood sugar, and that 3-6g of cinnamon per day reduces postprandial blood sugar. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6425402/
This is because cinnamon improves the effectiveness of insulin by enhancing its ability to transport glucose into cells. This helps lower blood sugar levels as the cells can absorb more sugar from the blood stream. It probably does this because some compounds in cinnamon such as the methylhydroxychalcone polymer, have been found to mimmick insulin’s activity. They can activate insulin receptors on cells, encouraging glucose uptake even in the absence of insulin.
Cinnamon also slows carbohydrate breakdown in the digestive tract, which helps prevent spikes in blood sugar levels after meals.
Cinnamon may also enhance the cells ability to use glucose more efficiently, reducing the overall sugar levels in the body.
Berberine
Berberine is an alkaloid found in several plants, particularly in the roots, rhizomes, and stem bark. It is a substance that was first noted for its anti /diabetic properties in 1986. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5839379/. Its action is similar to metformin, a common medication to control blood sugar levels. Research shows berberine improves blood sugar levels and decreases insulin resistance. Berberine works by boosting the activity of certain enzymes, increasing insulin release, and reducing the production of glucose and fat in the liver. It activates a specific pathway (AMPK), which helps insulin work better and also aids in weight loss.
Some plants that contain Berberine include: Barbarry (Berberis vulgaris), Tree Turmeric (Berberis aristata), Goldenseal (Hydratis canadensis), and Chinese Goldthread (Coptis chinensis)
Despite its benefits Berberine is not absorbed well in the body. However, advances in biotechnology have given rise to the development of Berberine products that have been clinically proven to increase absorption rates tenfold.
Fenugreek
Fenugreek is an aromatic plant,which is widely grown in warm climates such as in South Asia, North Africa and parts of the Mediterranean. It has small round leaves and produces long pods that contain distinctive bitter-tasting seeds.
For pre-diabetic individuals, fenugreek consumption has been scientifically proven to reduce the chances of developing diabetes. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/journals/2031/ In this study, the consumption of 10g of fenugreek per day was seen significantly reduce fasting plasma glucose (FPG), postprandial plasma glucose (PPPG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc). It also significantly raised serum insulin. It is believed that it decreased insulin resistance.
Although the effects of fenugreek were seen in pre-diabetic individuals, fenugreek will probably have a similar effect in diabetes type 2 people. In another controlled trial, incorporating 15 grams of powdered fenugreek seed into a meal eaten by people with type 2 diabetes reduced the rise in post-meal blood glucose, while a separate study found that taking 2.5 grams of fenugreek twice a day for three months lowered blood sugar levels in people with mild, but not severe, type 2 diabetes.
The takeaway is that incorporating fenugreek seeds into the daily diet will help blood sugar control.
Gymnema silvestre (Asclepiadaceae)
Gymnema silvestre is popularly known as “gurmar” because of its distinct property as a sugar destroyer. This is another reputed herb in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. The phytoconstituents responsible for It sweet suppression activity comes from phytoconstituents known as gymnemic acids, gymnemasaponins, and a polypeptide, gurmarin. The herb is an an effective natural remedy for diabetes because it shows positive effects on blood sugar homeostasis, controls sugar cravings, and promotes regeneration of the pancreas. The herbal extract used in dietary supplements reduces body weight, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3912882/#
How Gymnemic Acids Work
Gymnemic acids help lower blood sugar in two main ways. First, they help the pancreas make more insulin. Second, they slow down how fast sugar gets into the blood after eating.
Gymnemic acids look like sugar molecules to our taste buds. This tricks our taste buds and stops them from tasting sweetness. In the intestines, gymnemic acids block sugar from being absorbed, so less sugar gets into the blood.
Gurmarin, works similarly by confusing our taste buds, making it hard to tell sweet from bitter.
The effects of gymnemic acids start with helping hormones that make the pancreas release insulin. They also help the pancreas grow new cells and improve how well the body uses glucose. This reduces the amount of sugar and fat absorbed in the intestines and stops the mouth and intestines from sensing sweetness.
Gymnemic acids also interact with a key enzyme involved in breaking down glucose, which helps lower blood sugar levels.
Ginseng
Chinese medicine has become increasingly popular and more so since the 2015 Nobel Prize was awarded to Tou Youyou for discovering that artemesin in traditional Chinese medicine can treat malaria.
One of the Chinese medicinal herbs that may help treat diabetes is ginseng. Ginseng has been used for a long time in China to treat diabetes. In the Song Dynasty (1078 A.D.), official records showed that ginseng was used to cure a disease called Xiaoke, which we now know as diabetes. Today, the two most common types of ginseng used for diabetes are Asian ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.). Scientists are very interested in learning how ginseng works to help with diabetes.
Ginseng has many different components, including saponins, polysaccharides, polyacetylenes, phenols, and alkaloids. One important part of ginseng is saponins, also known as ginsenosides, which are believed to be responsible for their anti-diabetic effects. So far, nearly two hundred types of ginsenosides have been found in ginseng plants and products. Most ginsenosides belong to a group called the dammarane family and have a specific structure with four rings, like ginsenosides Rb1, Rg3, Re, and Rg1. Many studies suggest that ginseng extracts and ginsenosides can help with diabetes, but we still don’t know exactly how they work.
One group of scientists, found that ginseng helped lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. They did a big study combining results from sixteen smaller studies and found that people who took ginseng had lower fasting blood sugar than those who didn’t.
Another big study looked at eight different trials and found similar results. People who took ginseng had lower blood sugar after fasting, lower insulin levels after eating, and a better HOMA-IR score (which is a measure of insulin resistance).
It has been shown that ginseng acts in four ways:
Firstly, ginseng modulates blood glucose levels by improving β-cell function and enhancing insulin sensitivity;
Secondly, ginseng can enhance glucose uptake by up-regulating the expression of glucose transporters (GLUT). In other words, it makes the body produce more proteins that help move sugar into cells;
Thirdly, ginseng was found to reduce oxidative stress, that is it reduced the quantity of harmful free radicals by increasing the activity of an enzyme called SOD, (superoxide dismutase) which converts harmful superoxide radicals, which are a type of free radical, into less harmful molecules like hydrogen peroxide and oxygen. By doing this, SOD helps to prevent cell damage and maintain healthy cellular function.
Fourthly, ginseng was found to regulate blood glucose accompanied by the control of the production of a protein that causes inflammation. It also was accompanied by the control of the production of an enzyme that produces nitric oxide. Nitric oxide relaxes and widens blood vessels. The regulation of both proteins is important for maintaining balance of inflammation and blood vessel function. The effective modulation by ginseng on inflammation may be able to prevent the development of insulin resistance in Diabetes type 2 individuals.
Again, like berberine, ginseng is not naturally absorbed well into the bloodstream.
It is suggested that the Rg3 and Rh1ginsenosides are the active therapeutic ingredients of ginseng.
Bitter Melon (Mormodica charantia)
Bitter melon (Momordica charantia), also known as bitter gourd or bitter squash, is a tropical and subtropical vine in the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean for its edible fruit. The fruit is characterized by its distinct warty exterior and an intensely bitter taste.
The fruit has a rough, bumpy skin and is oblong in shape. It starts green and turns yellow- orange as it ripens. It varies in size but it ranges from 5 to 30 cm in length. It has a strong bitter taste. There are two varieties: the Chinese Bitter Melon and the Indian Bitter Melon; the latter is smaller, darker and more bitter.
Bitter Melon has the phytochemicals, charantin, vicine and polypeptide-p giving it important medicinal health benefits:
Blood sugar control
Digestive Health
Immune support
Anti-inflammatory
Its blood sugar control and anti-inflammatory effect makes bitter melon a good natural intervention for diabetes type 2 individuals
Scientific studies have shown that bitter melon lowers blood glucose levels. One study showed that it lowers fasting glucose levels in patients with diabetes type 2. Another study, based on its findings, even suggested that Mormodica charantia could serve as a potential alternative for individuals with T2DM. However, the reasearchers stated that further high-quality studies are necessary to validate their results.
There are a number of products in the market that diabetes type 2 individuals use such as tea and supplements which are available in various forms, including capsules, extracts, and powders.
For diabetes type 2 treatment it should be used cautiously to avoid hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar. Moreover, it should not be consumed in pregnancy. Lastly some individuals may experience allergic reactions.