Corn Silk for Diabetes

Diabetes can be painful and costly to manage, with glucose meters and supplies to purchase and having to prick your finger with a needle every day, often several times a day. There are many ways to treat diabetes, with insulin being the most well-known treatment. There are also a host of oral medications on the market. However, treating the disease naturally is often cheaper and comes with fewer side effects.

Corn Silk Uses

• When summer rolls around and fresh corn is in season, most people are accustomed to throwing away the silk--the long, stringy inside of a corn husk--and consider it waste. There is more to corn silk, however, than meets the eye.

  Corn silk has been used as a folk remedy for diabetes in China for centuries. Corn silk extract is now used as a treatment for diabetes worldwide and is no longer just a folk remedy. It is also known to treat kidney, bladder and prostate problems, as well as high blood pressure, heart disease, cystitis and edema.

The Science of Corn Silk

• Corn silk extract is comprised of proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium salts, oils and steroids. The way in which it helps with blood sugar is not entirely understood, but it has been shown to cause marked improvement.

  In a 2003 study done by Acta Pharm Sinica of hyperglycemic (diabetic) mice, corn silk was orally administered and their glucose and hemoglobin A1C (which shows how well diabetes has been controlled over a long period of time) decreased significantly and their insulin production improved greatly. Some of the damaged cells in their pancreases were repaired. The results suggest that corn silk may prove to be a beneficial food or medicine for people suffering from diabetes.

Side Effects

• Corn silk is considered to be a very safe dietary supplement. There are no known, documented side effects if the patient takes the supplement as directed. The correct dose varies from person to person based on age, weight, height, medical conditions and other medications they take.

Drug Interactions

• Corn silk is a mild diuretic and because it may cause blood sugar to drop, individuals who are taking diabetes medications should be especially careful not to let their sugar go too low.

  People who take medication for high blood pressure should also exercise caution, as large amounts of corn silk can cause blood pressure to drop too low.

  People who take corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory drugs) should be aware that taking corn silk can decrease the body's potassium too much.

  Patients taking blood thinners, such as Coumadin, should note that the combination of the medication and corn silk may reduce the body's Vitamin K, thus making the blood thinner less effective.

Forms of Corn Silk

• Corn silk can be purchased in pill, liquid supplement and tea form, and some people simply chew the corn silk itself, which is known to be sweet and flavorful.