Over the Counter Herbs to Cure High Blood Sugar

A few spices and herbs are known to lower blood sugar levels. Many can, conveniently, be found in tea form, and are sometimes labeled as being specifically designed for diabetics or for those otherwise wanting to control blood sugar levels. It is of the utmost importance that you let your physician know you'd like to try over-the-counter blood sugar reducers, particularly if you're also taking insulin. These natural remedies can work with insulin to inadvertently lower your blood sugar levels too far.

Cinnamon

• According to James Hargrove, an associate professor at the Univcersity of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences, protein glycation occurs when blood sugar levels are high, causing the sugar to bond with proteins. These bonded compounds become what are known as advanced glycation end products, or AGE compounds, which cause the tissue inflammation and damage that are a part of diabetes.

  So what does this have to do with cinnamon?

  One substance that prevents the formation of AGE compounds is phenol. The phenol content of cinnamon is approximately 18 percent of its dry weight, making cinnamon an excellent blood sugar reducer, particularly when taken after meals. It also enhances the positive effect of insulin.

Golden Seal

• The herb golden seal is a perennial indigenous to southeastern Canada and the northeastern United States. It is an effective natural supplement for lowering blood sugar levels, and for boosting the production of insulin. Golden seal can be so effective at lowering blood sugar levels, in fact, that people who suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) are advised to stay well away from golden seal, as it can drop blood sugar levels to dangerous lows for hypoglycemics. Diabetics taking insulin should also be aware of the potential danger of supplementing an insulin shot with golden seal.

An Assortment of Herbal Leaves

• A number of herbal leaves are helpful for lowering blood sugar levels, admittedly to a lesser degree than medically dispensed insulin. Uva ursi leaves, huckleberry leaves, mullein leaves, comfrey leaves, buchu leaves and dandelion leaves have all been shown to be beneficial for lowering blood sugar levels. Some of these leaf varieties, such as mullein leaves and comfrey leaves, are helpful to those with type II diabetes, as they help to break down and move mucus along. Other leaves, such as dandelion, increase the production of insulin in the pancreas for type I diabetics.