Specific foods and herbs with specific properties that will help you avoid/manage diabetes.

Almonds

Almonds are nuts.  You can buy them most anywhere.  We recommend eating them raw, but roasted almonds may also work.

According to Dr. James Duke, “Everyone knows that white bread sends your blood sugar soaring.  But suppose you “neutralize” the blood sugar surge so it never happens?  You could still enjoy many of your favorite foods.

He claims, “All you need to do is enjoy two or three almonds before you reach for the white bread.  A 2007 Canadian study demonstrated that almonds helped neutralize the blood sugar surge from eating white bread or similar carbs!  Even more remarkable, the more almonds you eat, the more blood-sugar benefits you enjoy.

Source:  The Green Pharmacy Guide to Healing Foods by James A. Duke, Ph.D.

Warning:  Always let your doctor know if you are taking herbs for health purposes.  Any given herb may counter the effects of another herb or medication.

Asian Ginseng

Asian ginseng is an herb that is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat diabetes. It has been shown to enhance the release of insulin from the pancreas and to increase the number of insulin receptors. It also has a direct blood sugar-lowering effect.

A recent study found that 200 mg of ginseng extract per day improved blood sugar control as well as energy levels in Type 2 diabetes.

Bilberry

Bilberry may lower the risk of some diabetic complications, such as diabetic cataracts and retinopathy.

Broccoli

Eating broccoli could reverse the damage that diabetes inflicts on heart blood vessels. The key is most likely a compound in the vegetable called sulforaphane.

Sulforaphane encourages production of enzymes that protect the blood vessels, and reduces the number of molecules that cause cell damage — known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) — by up to 73 percent.

People with diabetes are up to five times more likely to develop cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes — both of which are linked to damaged blood vessels.

Sources: BBC News August 5, 2008,   American Diabetes Association

How Might Broccoli Help?
One of broccoli’s most powerful compounds is the phytochemical sulforaphane. This compound has been found to restore your immune system as you age and increase your liver’s ability to detoxify carcinogenic compounds and free radicals. This in turn protects against cell mutations, cancer and other harmful effects.

Broccoli is not the only vegetable that contains sulforaphane, though. Most of the veggies in the cruciferous family also contain it, and this includes vegetables such as turnips, cabbage, bok choy, rutabaga, mustard greens, cauliflower, radishes and many others.

Carrots:  Can they crush diabetes?

Carrots contain carotenoids, and they are very good for you.  The brilliant orange color of carrots means that they are filled with carotenoids, antioxidants that seem to help prevent diabetes.

A study of 4,500 people tested over 15 years determined that those with the highest levels of carotenoids in their blood had about half the risk of those with the least.  To paraphrase an old saying, “A carrot a day keeps the diabetes away.”

What about their Glycemic Index?
The first journal article ever published on the glycemic index (GI) indicated that we quickly digest the carbohydrates in carrots. That study that showed the GI of carrots at 92 (where glucose = 100).  That led to a lot of concern.

The good news is that recent tests have shown that cooked carrots had a GI of 39 and raw carrot juice a GI of 45.  These recent tests show a low current GI.

A recipe from Prevention.com
Try this recipe, which makes four half-cup servings. Snack on them over the next 7 days and you’ll meet your carotenoid goal for the week.

Sweet ‘n’ Tangy Carrots
2 c. baby carrots
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard

Microwave carrots on high in 1 c. water for 5 minutes, then drain. Stir in honey and mustard while carrots are hot.

Click here to see a recipe from Diabetes Self Management for Tangy Balsamic Carrots

Cinnamon

It has been said to triple insulin’s efficiency.  One-fourth of a teaspoon of cinnamon a day will help your fat cells recognize and respond to insulin better, a process that goes haywire in diabetes.  Sprinkle some on your breakfast cereals, meals, and beverages.

A spicy pleasure that’s good for you

Although herbs have been used for hundreds of years to heal, scientists are finally starting to substantiate these plants’ abilities to alleviate your aches and pains.

If your blood sugar (glucose) is higher than 100 you are considered to be pre-diabetic.  Higher readings, of course are worse.  Here’s a tasty helper.

A German study of type 2 diabetics (previously called adult diabetes until children started getting it) found that taking cinnamon extract daily was successful at reducing blood sugar by about 10%.

Study subjects took 1 gram capsules of standardized cinnamon extract daily.  While they didn’t just pour cinnamon on their food, that’s another way to take it.

Don’t overdo it

The picture on the right is a bunch of cinnamon sticks.  Placing these in a beverage will spice it up.  One stick is a small amount of the spice so it’s quite safe.

Other research claims that ¼ teaspoon a day is all you need to safely drop blood sugar levels.

Warning: Keep in mind that a large amount of the actual spice can be dangerous, so researchers recommend that you stick with a water-soluble extract.  Terry Graedon, PhD and coauthor with her husband Joe of Best Choices from the People’s Pharmacy, recommends the brand Cinnamon PF, which is available in health food stores.

It might also lower cholesterol
Cinnamon packs a one-two punch for people with type 2 diabetes by reducing related heart risks.  In another study of diabetics, it slashed cholesterol by 13% and triglycerides by 23%.

Who would have thought that such a good tasting her could be so useful?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Saute your posta in exra-virgin oilive oil (and throw in some vegetables for good measure.  That approach substantially increased insulin sensitivity for overweight women in recent research. The researchers sy that sauteing any carb-rich food in olive oil will help hold blood sugar steady.

Fenugreek

Fenugreek is a plant that is cultivated worldwide as a semi-arid crop. It is used both as an herb (the leaves) and as a spice the seed).

Clinical studies have demonstrated the anti-diabetic properties of fenugreek seeds. The active ingredient responsible for the anti-diabetic properties of fenugreek is in the defatted portion of the seed that contains the alkaloid trogonelline, nicotinic acid and coumarin.  See separate article on Fenugreek for diabetes.

A side effect of consuming even small amounts of fenugreek (even as just an infusion in water) is a maple syrup or curry smell in the eater’s sweat  and urine.  Because of its odor, fenugreek is frequently used in the production of flavoring for artificial syrups.

Therapeutic uses  Fenugreek can be used as a digestive aid. The seeds are widely used as a milk producing agent by nursing mothers to increase inadequate breast milk supply.

Several human intervention trials demonstrated that the anti-diabetic effects of fenugreek seeds ameliorate most metabolic symptoms associated with type-1 and type-2 diabetes in both humans and relevant animal models.

Supplements of fenugreek seeds were also shown to lower serum cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein in several research studies.

Fenugreek is currently available commercially in encapsulated forms and is being prescribed as dietary supplements for the control of hypercholesterolemia and diabetes by practitioners of complementary and alternative medicine.

In recent research, fenugreek seeds were experimentally shown to protect against cancers of the breast (Amin et al., 2005) and colon (Raju et al., 2006).

Uncle Sam’s view on Fenugreek
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) has this positive information to say about Fenugreek.

Cautions:
Please read about cautions at Wikipedia. According to Wikipedia, use with caution or avoid if you have a history of peanut or chickpea allergy, hypoglycemia, asthma, abnormal menstrual cycles, migraines, or hypertension.

References:
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
Wikipedia
The Epicenter – Encyclopedia on spices

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo biloba extract may prove useful for prevention and treatment of early-stage diabetic neuropathy.

Milk Thistle

According to Prevention, “Studies of milk thistle (Silybum marianum) show that silymarin, the herb’s main compound, safely detoxifies the liver and can treat nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, which contributes to diabetes.

“Silymarin may also help reverse chronic liver inflammation, a suspected cause of insulin resistance, says University of North Carolina biochemist Kevin Spelman.  Iraqi doctors recently saw a 20% drop in the fasting blood sugar of people with type 2 diabetes who took 200 mg of silymarin with their diabetes drug daily for 120 days.”

How to Use
Not all milk thistle supplements contain enough silymarin, according to a ConsumerLab.com independent test. Two that do:

Trader Darwin’s, sold at Trader Joe’s stores, and Thisilyn by Nature’s Way.

Dosage:  Try 200 to 500 mg daily

Be sure to tell your doctor if you begin taking milk thistle so he or she is aware of what you are doing.  Any given supplement may act against any other supplement or drug   It pays to know.

Source: Former Prevention alternative medicine editor Sara Altshul is now a freelance writer based in Rome, Italy.

Mulberry

Chances are, the only thing you knew about mulberries before today was the nursery rhyme from Mother Goose. But why dance around a mulberry bush when you could benefit from consuming its seeds and leaves.

Mulberry leaves have long been used in Chinese medicine for the prevention and treatment of diabetes, because, as we now know, they contain chemical compounds that suppress high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) following a carbohydrate-rich meal.  According to one source, white mulberry is the species that has been used exclusively in Chinese medicine since A.D. 659.

When researchers compared an oral diabetes drug with mulberry extract, mulberry did better.  There are no known negative side effects, so if you have a glucose problem, why not try it.  You can consume it as dry mulberry leaf powder or seed extract.

A one gram dose of powdered leaves or a seed extract of this herb for two months could lower your glucose levels.

Nuts yes.  Potatoes no.

Potatoes deliver a dietary double whammy.  They make your blood sugar rise and over the years are particularly likiely to make you gain weight, a recent long-term study showed.  Nuts may be high in fat, but snacking on a handful instead of chips or fries will help you lose pounds, researchers say.  And a number of recent studies have shown that peanuts and pistachios as well as almondshave a surprising power to keep blood sugar even.

Onion and Garlic

Onion and garlic have significant blood sugar lowering action. Their active ingredients are believed to lower glucose levels.

The additional benefit of the use of garlic and onions are their beneficial cardiovascular effects. They are found to lower lipid levels, inhibit platelet aggregation and are antihypertensive. So, liberal use of onion and garlic are recommended to prevent and manage diabetes.

Oranges

Could an orange a day keep diabetes away?  According to RealAge.com,

“Oranges are known to protect against heart disease and high blood pressure, and they’re full of cancer-fighting phytochemicals. But in parts of Asia, it’s believed that overeating oranges is asking for health trouble, including diabetes.

“Just the opposite, say investigators. Turns out that people who eat at least an orange a day are less likely to have diabetes, not more. Have one for dinner in the healthy Mandarin Chicken recipe below.

“Fruit consumption in Japan has fallen or stayed the same, leading researchers to speculate that some Japanese believe eating too many oranges makes people gain weight, increases fats in the blood, and invites diabetes. To determine if there was any truth to this bad rap, scientists surveyed more than 6,000 people in an area of Japan where Satsuma mandarin oranges are especially popular.

“Instead of finding that eating oranges was risky, the scientists discovered the opposite: Diabetes was less common in people who ate one to four oranges a day than in those who rarely ate the fruit. All those vitamins and nutrients in oranges may actually help prevent diabetes, say the researchers.

“As for the other fears, the orange-lovers were no more likely to be obese or have elevated levels of fat in their blood than those who ate few or no oranges.

“So make eating one of these juicy, zesty, tangy, refreshing, portable treats a daily habit.”

Source: RealAge.com

YOU: On a Diet. Roizen, M. F., Oz, M. C., New York: HarperCollins, 2006.

Stevia

Stevia has been used traditionally to treat diabetes. Early reports suggested that stevia might have beneficial effects on glucose tolerance (and therefore potentially help with diabetes), although not all reports have confirmed this. Even if stevia did not have direct anti-diabetic effects, its use as a sweetener could reduce intake of sugars in diabetes sufferers.

However, the FDA does not allow Stevia to be sold or promoted as a sweetener.  For more on Stevia, see our write up under a separate heading.

Vinegar

According to the book, The New Glucose Revolution, studies have indicated that a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice has significant blood sugar-lowering effects.  Just a few drops of vinegar a day can slash blood sugar by up to 30%.

Including as little as 4 teaspoons of vinegar in vinaigrette dressing (4 teaspoons vinegar and 2 teaspoons oil) on a side salad with your meal will help you keep your fat-burners on high and your diabetes under control.

Book reviews from Amazon.com:  The New Glucose Revolution

Buy the book: Do an online search under the book’s name and you will find options to buy it new and used.

Vitamins and minerals

Chromium
Chromium assists insulin in doing its job.  Marginal deficiency of this trace mineral is quite common and may be a contributing factor in our epidemic of obesity and diabetes.

Magnesium
Levels of this dietary mineral are usually low in diabetes.  Supplementation improves insulin action, glucose tolerance, and the healthful fluidity of red blood cell membranes.

Vitamin E
Vitamin E improves the action of insulin, the body’s natural defense against high blood sugar.

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