Control Diabetes with Herbal Remedies in Ayurveda

DIABETES MELLITUS(DM)

• Diabetes is also known as Diabetes mellitus. It is a disorder in which blood sugar (glucose) levels increases because the body does not produce sufficient insulin to meet the requirements. It is one the common metabolic disease which is predominant these days.

Situations that lead to Diabetes:

• The pancreas (an organ behind your stomach) which produces less quantity of insulin in some cases the production of insulin is nil. (Insulin is a naturally occurring hormone, produced by the beta cells of the pancreas, which helps the body use sugar for energy).
• The pancreas produce insulin, but the insulin produced does not work as it should. As a result, there will be imbalance in muscle & fat tissue metabolism, ultimately resulting in insulin resistance.

Types of diabetes

• Insulin dependent diabetes (type 1 or IDDM) in type 1 diabetes there is no insulin or not enough of it. Cause for it is failure to production of enough insulin.
• Non-Insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (type 2 DM or NIDDM):  The insulin production is satisfactory but the cells upon which it should act are not normally sensitive to its action and so they develop insulin resistance. It is also called ADULT ONSET DIABETES.

According to Ayurveda

• According to Ayurveda there are 20 forms of Diabetes (Prameha): 4 are due to Vata, 6 cause of Pitta, and 10 are caused by Kapha. But Diabetes (Prameha) is mainly kapha dosha disease.

The word Prameha consist of two Words प्र+मिह

• प्र = Increased intensity,
• मिह = to pass urine in excess

Symptoms:

Increase in Urination (polyuria), increase in thirst (polydypsia), increase in appetite (polyphagia) and people lose weight when they are not trying to.

It works like this:

• If blood glucose level rises to 160 to 180 mg/dL, glucose falls into the urine. Kidneys gets defecated if the level of glucose in the urine rises. This is the reason why diabetic patients urinate frequently which leads to abnormal thirst. People may lose weight due loss of excessive calories through urine. To recompense the weight loss, people often feel excessively hungry.

Complications of diabetes

• It damages the nerves (neuropathy) leads to problems in sensation.
• Diabetes damages blood vessels and increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, chronic kidney disease (nephropathy), and vision loss (retinopat hy).

Diagnosis of Diabetes

• Doctors diagnose diabetes by measuring blood sugar levels. Diabetes is diagnosed by blood glucose testing, the glucose tolerance test,and testing of the level of glycosylated hemoglobin(glycohemoglobin or hemoglobin A1C).
• The test for blood glucose levels requires the blood sample of overnight fast. The blood glucose levels after eating is normal, but it should not increase after the meal Fasting blood glucose levels should never be higher than 125 mg/dL after eating, blood glucose levels should not be higher than 199 mg/dL.

Eating habits which cause diabetes:

• Dadheeni – Excessive consumption of Curds and its preparations
• Gramya-oudaka-anupa mamsa – flesh or meat soup of animals living in water and marshy regions
• Payamsi – Excessive consumption of milk, its derivatives and preparations
• Navaanna panam – Food, drinks and dishes prepared from new grains etc.
• Guda vaikruti – Jaggery, its derivatives and dishes made out of it
• Guda (Jaggery)
• Ikshurasa (sugar cane)
• Madhura Ahara (sweet substances)
• Pishta Ahara (carbohydrate rich food)
• Adyashana (repeated food intake)
• Adhikashana (excess food intake)
• Ahitashana (unwholesome diet)
• Guru Ahara (heavy food)
• Samashana (improper diet)

The eating habits including excessive usage of junk foods, over eating, lack of exercise, stressful & sedentary life style have led to the rise of diabetes mellitus. So it is advised to follow the below mention diet for diabetic patients:

• One should include whole grains in the diet, such as wheat bread/pasta and brown rice.
• One should take cheese and yogurt prepared with skimmed (nonfat) milk instead of whole milk.
• Increase the use of garlic, onion, bitter gourd, spinach, raw banana, and black plum.
• Try to make a flour mixture of 1 part barley, 1 part black chickpeas, and 4 parts whole-wheat flour and use this to form pancakes and bread.
• A diabetic patient is advised to avoid sweet, sour, and salty foods, potatoes, sweet potatoes, colocation (taro), yams, fresh grains and pulses (legumes), whole yogurt (high in fat), and heavy, oily and spicy foods.
•  Diabetic patient needs to avoid sweet fruits like pineapple, grapes, and mangoes.
• Some light exercise, such as brisk walking is recommended.
• Sleeping in the daytime needs to be avoided as it increases Kledaka Kapha.

Treatment of Diabetes in Ayurveda

Diabetic patients can be classified into two categories,

1. Those who are obese & strong ( sthoola pramehi & balavan)
2. Those who are emaciated & weak (krusha & durbala)

• Patients belonging to 1st group are administered Panchakarma (detox procedures).
• Patients belonging to 2nd group are given nourishing therapy (brumhana). – maintaining bala & correction of doshas

The mode of treatment depends on the type of the diabetes.People with diabetes should quit smoking and consume only moderate amounts of alcohol.

Useful Herbs for Diabetes Management

1. Jambul (Eugenia jambolana) Powder from jamun core is useful.
2. Gurmar (gymnema Sylvester)
3. Bitter Gourd/bitter melon (Momordica charantia)
4. Bel (Aegle marmelos)
5. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graecum)
6. Turmeric
7. Neem.
8. Triphala
9. Shilajit

Useful drug formulations

1. Chandrabrabha.
2. Arogyavardhini.
3. Asanad tablets
4. Shilajit Vati
5. Trivanga bhasma.
6. Vasant Kusumakar

Planet Ayurveda, is a manufacturing herbal company which formulates herbal products for various ailments. Herbs used here are of standardized extracts of pure quality herbs. These are best- Quality, Purity and Potency wise which are effective to use without any side effect. The medicines by Planet Ayurveda are chemical free and vegetarian which only through herbs.

PLANET AYURVEDA HERBAL - DIABETES CARE PACK

Fenugreek Capsules:

Fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum graecum) are high in soluble fiber, which helps to lower down blood sugar levels by slowing down digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. This suggests that these seeds are effective in treating people with diabetes.

Karela Capsules:

• The fruit contains at least three active substances with anti-diabetic properties, including charantia, which has been confirmed to have a blood glucose lowering effect.

Dia-beta plus:

• Control the blood sugar levels and are very effective against diabetic neuropathy.
• Dia Beta Plus capsules work efficiently and Prevents fluctuations in sugar levels in the body.

Madhumehantak Churna:

• The combination in this traditional remedy for diabetes called - Madhumehantak churna is a blend of most effective herbs for diabetes and its complications. These herbs act together in a synergistic manner and are effective in lowering the blood sugar levels naturally.

Home Remedies:

• Dry few mango leaves and grind them to a powder. Mix 1 teaspoon of mango leaves powder in a glass of water and drink it every day to control high blood sugar levels.
• Try to take 2 teaspoons of bitter gourd (karela) juice once a day. Or eat bitter gourd as a cooked vegetable more often.
• Try to take 1 teaspoon of Indian gooseberry (Amla) juice mixed with 1 teaspoon of bitter gourd juice twice a day every day to help reduce high blood sugar levels.