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Natural Diabetic Treatment

Natural treatments for diabetics can help to control symptoms of diabetes and possibly even reverse the course of the disease. A healthier lifestyle is a goal for diabetics in any case, and, as long as they are monitored by a doctor, natural treatments may improve the quality of life for diabetics.

  1. First, Do No Harm

    • Diabetes is a serious disease. Whether type one or type two, diabetes needs to be monitored by a physician and blood sugar levels should be checked regularly to make sure that they are within a safe range. Traditional, allopathic medicine has improved the life of diabetics, but there is still no cure. This can sometimes lead diabetics to want to try any cure, especially if the cure is "natural." When thinking of natural treatments for diabetes, remember that anything you try should do no harm.

    Add Omega 3 Fatty Acids

    • One simple and natural treatment is to add omega 3 fatty acids to your diet. This can be in the form of a fish oil supplement, taken with food, or by eating more omega 3 rich foods in your diet. Choosing a healthier diet is an important part of any diabetes regimen, and adding these essential fatty acids to your diet can be an easy way to improve your symptoms. According to the University of Maryland School of Medicine, people with diabetes tend to have high levels of triglycerides and low levels of HDL. Omega 3 fatty acids can lower triglycerides and increase the level of HDL. Because people with diabetes can not efficiently convert the omega 3 fatty acids found in flax seed oil to something the body can use, they should stick to fish oils for their omega 3 fatty acids.

    Eat More Broccoli

    • According to a study from the journal Diabetes, there is a phytochemical in broccoli called suforaphane that may reverse damage done by high blood sugar levels. Eating more vegetables is an important part of any diet for improving diabetes, but adding broccoli to your list could actually even reverse some of the damage done by the disease to tissue. As well as broccoli, other vegetables to try include rutabaga, kohlrabi, turnips, cabbage, brussel sprouts, kale, rapini, collard greens, bok choy and cauliflower.

    Detoxification

    • Many Web sites about natural health recommend detoxification diets for diabetes and there are many reasons why this may be a good idea. At the same time, there are reasons that a detox diet should be undertaken with extreme caution for a person with diabetes. Drinking mainly water and fruit and vegetable juices, and staying away from processed foods and alcohol are part of many detox diets. But the severe food restriction of many detox diets is a serious matter for diabetics. This is definitely a natural treatment that should be undertaken with a doctor's advice and counsel. Eliminating toxins may be a natural treatment that will have benefits to the diabetic, but restricting food intake needs to be overseen by a doctor you trust.

    Other Natural Treatments

    • Hot springs or hot bath treatments, massage, relaxation techniques, regular exercise and improved diet are all other natural treatments that may be effective for diabetes. Before and after exercising, blood sugar levels should be tested and monitored.

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