Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Traditional Indian Medicine (TIM) for Diabetes

Note: 
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM)
Type II diabetes mellitus (T2DM)
Traditional Indian medicine (TIM)

Although there are currently a number of effective Western T2DM medications available for treatment, management of T2DM using medications with fewer side effects at lower costs is still a big challenge. These medications frequently have side effects, such as weight gain, bone loss, and increased risk of cardiovascular events . These side effects could become more prevalent due to continuous use. 

Furthermore, treatment is very costly as well, since T2DM is a chronic disease and long-term medications are necessary. Herbal medications can be a good alternative to replace or at least supplement to Western medications. The Indian and Chinese cultures have had several thousand years of history and experience in the prevention and treatment of T2DM with herbal medicine. As later discussed, several herbal medications have been proven to be clinically effective. Because herbal medicines are usually derived from natural plants, they are considered to be relatively safe and have fewer side effects compared to the conventional drugs.

Herbal medications treating T2DM can target multiple mechanisms including enhancement of insulin sensitivity, stimulation of insulin secretion, or reduction of carbohydrate absorption. Unlike Western medicine which usually contains a single active ingredient aiming for a specific mechanism, herbal concoctions may contain various active ingredients targeting multiple mechanisms. 

Herbal medicine is based on the holistic theory, which puts an emphasis on the integrated body. Western drugs are typically more potent than herbal medicine in lowering blood glucose levels. However, herbal supplements have shown to be able to treat diabetic complications. Thus herbal medicine can also be used as supplementation or in combination with the Western medicine to improve better therapeutic outcomes.

In the Chinese and Indian cultures, traditional medicine has long been the foundation in the treatment and prevention of many diseases. Approximately 800 plants have been identified in the treatment or prevention of T2DM. Many formulations are present as a single herbal extract or in a complex formula. Over 400 extracts have shown to be effective in vitro or in vivo. The pharmacological mechanisms of the herbs can be classified as decreasing carbohydrate absorption, improving insulin sensitivity, increasing peripheral glucose uptake, stimulating insulin secretion, potentiating endogenous incretins, exerting antioxidant effects and decreasing cell apoptosis, and increasing the glycogenesis or inhibiting hepatic glycogenolysis . Since many formulations contain multiple extracts and compounds, each herbal preparation may contain multiple mechanisms. In the following sections, we summarize the Chinese and English literature and list the most effective TCM and TIM herbal preparations under these identifiable mechanisms. Most of the studies have been conducted using in vitro systems and diabetic animals. However, there has been an increase in randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials testing the effectiveness of various TCM and TIM in both healthy and T2DM patients

Mechanisms of antidiabetic effect of TCM and TIM herbs

Reduced carbohydrate absorption, such as inhibition of α-glucosidase, α-amylase, and aldose reductase, increased glucose uptake in muscle and adipose tissues, activation of PPAR, increased insulin sensitivity/upregulation of receptor expression, exertion of antioxidant effects and decreasing β-cell apoptosis,  stimulation of β-cell insulin secretion, inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis/glycogenolysis, and prevention of endogenous incretins from degradation/suppression of glucagon

Type 2 Diabetes - Traditional Chinese Medicine to Help Control Diabetes

The Chinese believe an imbalance within the flow of your Qi causes diabetes. The Qi is the organs and meridians responsible for maintaining good health. Some call it the life force. An imbalance creates heat within the body, causing such symptoms as:

• lethargy,
• unexplained weight loss,
• overeating,
• fatigue,
• excessive thirst and urination,
• slow healing of wounds,
• blurry vision, and
• mood changes.

Chinese medicine has treated diabetes for more than two millennia. People are different and so the remedies have to change according to each patient. However, the guiding principles remain the same.

The aim is to rebalance the Qi/life force so your body can cope properly. Treatment can involve:

• acupuncture,
• exercise,
• Chinese herbal remedies,
• meditation, and
• dietary changes.

The treatment will help get your blood flowing properly so oxygen travels to each part of your body and your internal temperature comes back into balance as you replenish lost fluids.

Learn more - Tui Na and Acupressure: Natural Synergy: A Combination of Eastern Techniques and Sound Can Eliminate Pain & Destroy 91% of Diseases

Chinese medicine looks at the body as a whole instead of simply targeting one particular spot. It's only by bringing the body back into alignment that health can be improved.

The body has 12 meridians that match up with 12 organs. Your Qi must flow in the right order through your meridians to maintain good health. When one or more are out of sequence, acupuncture can be used to fix the problem. Needles are inserted into some of the 361 various acupuncture points along your meridians to help make your Qi flow properly. Magnets, acupressure and lasers can also do the same job if needles either won't work or if you have a phobia about them.

In Chinese medicine, the blood nourishes your organs and tissues. It's when you have congealed or insufficient blood that problems occur. Blood that congeals can cause pain, cysts, tumors and swelling in organs (e.g. your liver, spleen or heart.)

Apart from blood, fluids such as tears, sweat, urine and saliva moisten both the interior and exterior parts of your body. When there's not enough fluid, you may become hot and feel drier than normal. The lungs, kidneys and spleen are responsible for distributing fluids to where they're needed.

Qigong is another type of Chinese medicine that can help with many diseases. It's primary focus is to balance the link between mind and body. Meditation and breathing techniques are used to calm you and enable you to feel better. Your mind can do remarkable things if it's focused properly.

Having diabetes shouldn't mean you only rely on western medicine. Eastern medicine can help provided you follow the proper protocols the same way you would for western medicine. Always have an open mind towards any treatment that can help you because you never know what will or won't work and, if it's not dangerous, you have nothing to lose.

Type 2 diabetes is not a condition you must just live with. You can take control of the disease and take back your health. Maybe Traditional Chinese medicine could be helpful to you.

Learn more about diabetes treatment:

• Ancient Low-Carb Diet For Diabetes
• Reversed dietary guidelines Type 2 Diabetes: Swedish Plate Model and Secrets Burmese
• Diabetes medications in development and Most Frequently Prescribed - Is it awake effective?

Watch Now

Get ready because I am going to show you the lifestyle ingredients and dishes you need to reverse your diabetes in a matter of days.

I am also going to share with you my story on how I discovered the secrets of this groundbreaking ingenious Myanmar cuisine. A tribe that has one of the lowest diabetic rates in the world.

I will show you that reversing your diabetes can be done without pills, insulin shots and boring restrictive diets.