Diabetes

Diabetes Mellitus (DM), commonly referred to as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases in which there are high blood sugar levels over a prolonged period. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the cells of the body not responding properly to the insulin produced.

Symptoms of high blood sugar include

Polyuria:- Frequent urination.

Polydipsia:- Increased thirst.

Polyphagia:- increased hunger.

Weight loss.  

Symptoms of Diabetes

In addition to the known ones above symptoms, they include:

Blurry vision, headache, fatigue, slow healing of cuts, and itchy skin. Prolonged high blood glucose can cause glucose absorption in the lens of the eye, which leads to changes in its shape, resulting in vision changes. A number of skin rashes that can occur in diabetes are collectively known as diabetic dermadromes.

If left untreated, diabetes can cause many complications.

Acute complications can include diabetic ketoacidosis (burning fatty acids).

Nonketotic hyperosmolar coma (severe dehydration), or death.

Serious long-term complications include heart disease, stroke, chronic kidney failure, foot ulcers, and damage to the eyes.

There are three main types of diabetes mellitus:

Type 1DM: Results from the pancreas's failure to produce enough insulin. This form was previously referred to as "insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (IDDM) or "juvenile diabetes". The cause is unknown.

In type 1 diabetes, the body’s own immune system attacks cells in the pancreas, known as beta-cells, which produce the hormone insulin. Insulin is needed for moving glucose out of the blood stream and into muscles and other tissues. The condition is usually diagnosed after around 70 per cent of the beta-cells cease to function and type 1 diabetics need to inject a synthetic form of insulin to replace the missing hormone.

Type 2 DM: begins with insulin resistance, a condition in which cells fail to respond to insulin properly. As the disease progresses a lack of insulin may also develop. This form was previously referred to as "non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus" (NIDDM) or "adult-onset diabetes". The primary cause is excessive body weight and not enough exercise.

In type 2 diabetes, too, insulin production tends to decline, with the beta-cells dying off faster than normal. Several different factors appear to be involved in this, including high blood sugar and blood fat levels, inflammatory compounds and high levels of the hormone leptin. More people with type 2 diabetes now inject insulin than those with type 1.

Symptoms may develop rapidly (weeks or months) in type 1 DM, while they usually develop much more slowly and may be subtle or absent in type 2 DM.

Type 2 Diabetes

Gestational diabetes is the third main form and occurs when pregnant women without a previous history of diabetes develop high blood-sugar levels.

Diabetes Mnagement

Prevention and treatment involve

1.       Maintaining a healthy diet.

2.     Regular physical exercise,

3.     A normal body weight and avoiding use of tobacco.

4.    Control of blood pressure and maintaining proper foot care are important for people with the disease.

5.     A natural body chemical that appears to be vital for the regeneration of beta-cells is GABA (full name gamma–aminobutyric acid).

Extracts of some herbs have also been found to stimulate the regeneration of pancreatic beta-cells and improve insulin production in animal studies. Three of the most promising are:

Gymnema sylvestre stimulates insulin secretion and has blood sugar reducing properties. It blocks sweet taste receptors when applied to tongue in diabetes to remove glycosuria.It is a blood sugar balancing herb that slows the absorption of sugars into the blood stream and slows the conversion of sugar to fat.

Fenugreek (trigonella foenum graecum) are high in soluble fibre, which helps lower blood sugar by slowing down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. This suggests they may be effective in treating people with diabetes.

The Indian kino tree (Pterocarpus marsupium)

Modern day science have found following major healing properties of Indian Kino :

1.  Rejuvenate beta cells in the pancreas (the cells that produce insulin).

2. Prevent elevated blood sugar, triglycerides and insulin resistance from a high fructose diet.

3. Lower triglycerides, total cholesterol and LDL and VLDL – Cholesterol in diet induced hyperlipidemia.

Azadirachta indica

The use of neem leaves for diabetic patients is well known since centuries. Studies and research show that neem leaf extracts have a high efficacy in treating this condition naturally.