Diabetes Information

Diabetes mellitus is a medical condition in which the capacity to produce insulin in the body is marginally or significantly reduced. Because of this condition, glucose uptake by the body cells becomes deficient, and blood sugar levels increase. Type 1 diabetic patients produce little or no insulin, and hence need insulin injections to control their blood sugar. Type 2 diabetic patients can control their blood sugar with a combination of diet, weight management, and exercise and glucose-lowering medications.
Diabetes mellitus is known in Ayurveda as “Madhumeha”. Ayurveda describes the pathology of this disease as resulting from a disturbed “Meda, Kleda and Kapha”. It is believed that all the body tissues lose their vitality because of this condition.

Type 1 diabetic patients who are dependent on insulin injections should monitor their blood sugar and continue the injections regularly. Type 2 diabetic patients may be able to control their blood sugar with Ayurvedic medicines and other measures like diet restrictions and weight control.
Traditional Ayurvedic formulations useful in diabetes are: Arogya Vardhini, Vasant Kusumakar Rasa, Chandraprabha Vati, Prameha Gaja Kesari, Lodhrasava, Khadirarishta, Jambvasava, Trivanga Bhasma, and Suvarna Makshik Bhasma. Herbal medicines useful in this condition are: Haridra (Curcuma longa), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Karela (Momordica charantia), Saptakapi (Casearia esculenta), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Daruharidra (Berberis aristata), Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), Khadeer (Acacia catechu), Lodhra (Symplocos racemosa), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Patol (Trichosanthe dioica), Vata (Ficus bengalensis), Udumbar (Ficus glomerata), Jamun (Syzygium cumini), Bilwa (Aegle marmelos) , Gudmar (Gymnema sylvestre), Methi (Trigonella foenum-graecum), Asana (Pterocarpus marsupium),Shilajit (Purified Bitumen) and Kumbha (Leucas cephalotes).

Most of the herbal medicines mentioned above reduce blood sugar gradually, and stimulate the body to secrete insulin on its own. These medicines also act on the “Meda” and “Kapha” tissues, reduce “Kleda”, and restore body vitality. Thus they act on the basic pathology of this disease. Taken for long periods, these medicines may help to reverse the disease process in diabetes, and give long lasting relief, or sometimes, even a permanent cure. Unlike modern medicines, medical emergencies like hypoglycemia (a sudden lowering of blood sugar) are not seen with the use of herbal medicines.
Long-term complications of diabetes include diseases related to the eyes, nerves, kidneys, heart, brain, intestines, sexual organs, skin and feet. Ayurvedic medicines are very effective in preventing or significantly reducing symptoms related to these complications, and are useful in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Ayurvedic medicines used specially for this are: Tapyadi Loha, Kaishor Guggulu, Agni Tundi Rasa, Vish Tinduk Vati, Kanchnaar Guggulu, Trayodashang Guggulu, Ekanga Veer Rasa, Vaat Gajankush Rasa and Amalaki (Emblica officinalis).
Thus, Ayurvedic medicines are useful both for reducing blood sugar and for treating long-term complications. These medicines can be used independently or as additional therapy to modern medicines. Ayurvedic treatment can significantly reduce the morbidity (severity of disease) and mortality (death rate) associated with diabetes mellitus.

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Diabetes Mellitus is divided into two categories, namely type 1 and 2 respectively. In both types of diabetes mellitus pathophysiology they are more likely to be similar as the blood sugar is high. Firstly, it is either due to less production of insulin, or no production which resulted insulin resistance. Either case could result in inadequate glucose in the cells, where it can be identified through certain signs and symptoms or pathophysiology. These diabetes mellitus pathphysiology are quickly relieved once the diabetes is treated and also reduce the chances of developing serious health problems.

Diabetes Type 1:
The main cause of type 1 diabetes is due to dysfunctional pancreas as this resulted in low or no production of insulin. Primary diabetes mellitus pathophysiology includes nausea and vomiting. Subsequently, at latter stage, diabetes type 1 leads to ketoacidosis in which body starts breaking down muscle tissue and fat for energy and resulted in weight loss. Next, individual will undergo dehydration due to electrolyte disturbance. In advance stages, patients may proceed into coma, in some cases death may occur.

Diabetes Mellitus or Type 2 Diabetes:
The pathophysiology for type 2 diabetes and type 1 is somewhat similar, but include more diversified symptoms which include the following:
1. Polydipsia - Individual feel thirsty due to increase glucose concentration in the blood as brain receives signal for diluting concentrated glucose.
2. Polyuria - Increase in urine production is the result seen when excess of glucose is present in body. Body tries to get rid of the extra sugar in the blood by excreting it through the urine. This can also lead to dehydration because excreting the sugar which carries a large amount of water out of the body along with it.
3. Increase fatigue - Due to inefficiency of cell to metabolize glucose, reserve fat of body is metabolized to gain energy. When fat is broken down in the body, it uses more energy as compared to glucose, hence body goes in negative calorie effect, which results in fatigue.
4. Weight fluctuation - Factors like loss of water (polyuria), glucosuria , metabolism of body fat and protein may lead to loss of weight. Few cases may show weight gain due to increased appetite.
5. Blurry vision - Hyperosmolar hyperglycemia nonketotic syndrome is the condition when body fluid is pulled out of tissues including lenses of eye, which affects the ability of lenses to focus resulting in blurry vision.
6. Irritability - It is one of the sign of high blood sugar because of the inefficient supply of glucose to brain and other body organs, which make us, feel tired and uneasy.
7. Infections - Certain signals from the body is given whenever there is fluctuation of blood sugar (due to suppression of immune system) by frequent infections of fungal or bacterial like skin infection or UTI (urinary tract infection).
8. Poor wounding healing - Wounding is dependent on white blood cells as it contains lymphocytes which aid in attacking foreign particles and blood vessel repair. However, with increase blood glucose level, it resists the flourishing of white blood cells. This in turn resulted in low immune system and may affect proper blood circulation as glucose aid in blood thickening.

All the above are the diabetes mellitus pathophysiology and in order to improve blood sugar level and to reduce the usage of insulin shots, a comprehensive guide by Julia Hanf on diabetes guide provides a better insight on how to defeat diabetes and the secret to cure diabetes patients. This Diabetes Guide has proven to be effective and aid in improving individual health and lifestyle.

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Syndrome X is a term used a describe a set of cardiovascular risk factors that includes glucose or insulin disturbances, high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, elevated blood pressure, and upper-body obesity. Other terms to describe this syndrome are the metabolic cardiovascular risk syndrome (MCVS), Raven’s syndrome, insulin resistance syndrome, and atherothrombogenic syndrome. While there is a push to abandon the term syndrome X, it has nonetheless persisted.
The underlying metabolic denominator in syndrome X is elevated insulin levels. There is little doubt what contributes to these elevations : an elevated intake of refined carbohydrate. The results from a recent 25-year study add support to the contention that prolonged consumption of refined sugars and the resulting elevations in insulin eventually leads to type II diabetes. This study showed that the development of type II diabetes was preceded by elevations of serum insulin values and insulin insensitivity. Typically, these defects presented themselves decades before the development of diabetes.
Hypoglycemia, increased insulin secretion, syndrome X, and type II diabetes can be viewed as a progression of the same illness : a maladaptation to the “Western diet.” The human body was simply not designed to handle the amount of refined sugar, salt, saturated fats, and other harmful food compounds that many people in Western countries (and increasingly other countries like ours) feed it. The result is that a metabolic syndrome emerges — elevated insulin levels, obesity, elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides, and high blood pressure. Syndrome X is the label that modern medicine has chosen to ascribe to a condition caused by poor dietary and lifestyle choices. It seems a bit silly for medical researchers to be spending millions of dollars to develop drugs (”magic bullets”) instead of working on ways to better aid people in choosing a healthier diet and lifestyle.

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