Wakeup India!
We are living in Diabetic Capital, as we have more than 19% of total diabetic population of the world. WHO reports more than 12.5% of our urban population and more than 4% of our rural population is diabetic. Is Not It alarming condition? And it is expected to rise to 80 million by the year 2030. Believing this report ain’t we going to develop India with full of diabetic people? So, Wakeup guys...
Let me tell you one fact that we Indians are really prone to diabetes and are highly eligible to get it. Why? Cause, in urban India we hardly make a balance between our food and our physical activities. We consume all the unhealthy high carbohydrate food, take lot of work stress and hardly get to do a regular physical exercise, thus, tend to get obese and in rural India, we do adequate amount of physical labour but we don’t eat balanced food. So, in a nut-shell, we Indians do lot of such things is our daily life, which are an open Invitation to Diabetes.
Let us talk about Type 2 Diabetes, which are commonly affecting us:
Our pancreas plays very vital role in digesting the food we consume. They secrete enzymes that brake down protein, starch and fat synthesis in our small intestine. We have two types of essential pancreatic hormones; Alpha cells and Beta Cells. When blood sugar level rises, Beta Cells secrete Insulin which control Glucose and give an Instruction to Liver to deposit Glucose reserve as Glycogen. And whenever Glucose level goes down from an optimal level, the Alpha cells secrete Glucagon that gives an instruction to the Liver to convert Glycogen to Glucose again. Actually when we consume processed Carbohydrates, which are considered as High Glycaemia Index food, our blood glucose level shoots up very fast and also goes down very fast. This activity increases the labour of these to highly responsive hormones. Following the same lifestyle for longer time period these Alpha and Beta cells lose their sensitivity to perform their duties. They no more control the blood glucose level. And this condition is called Type 2 Diabetes.
The Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes: the suffering person feels over thirsty, urinates uncontrollably, looses weight, feels lethargic and becomes prone to attract infections. But one thing to remember, that there are some exceptional individual, who does not experience these symptom at all.
The Dangers of Type 2 Diabetes: very sad to be said, that diabetes is the biggest killer among all other diseases in India. It kills people by gifting other severe diseases to people such as heart attack, strokes, and other severe infections. Apart from heart diseases it affects all renal functions including kidneys, liver functions and prostate activities. Blindness and non-traumatic lower limb amputation is also a major diabetes oriented problem in our Country.
Now the question arises, how to lead a healthy and a graceful life in the presence of this biggest killing disease in our Country?
Since I am an activist to promote Herbal Holistic Health concept that belong to millennia old health keeping and rejuvenating system “Ayurveda”, so I would like to give some of my recommendations, which are derived from Ayurveda only. Ayurveda addresses Diabetes through lifestyle changes, diet and herbs. Please go through following recommendations:
Lifestyle:
• Day sleep should be avoided.
• Yoga and daily exercise must be done like cycling, swimming, jogging etc.
• Injury should be taken care well.
• Adequate eye care should be taken, as the disease in serious condition might affect the eyes.
• Since the diabetic person lack natural resistance so the prompt action is needed in case the diabetic person is afflicted by any other disease.
• Proper foot care is also necessary.
Diet:
• Avoid sugar in any form; rice, potato, banana, cereals and fruits containing high percentage of sugar content.
• Avoid fatty foods.
• A low calorie, low fat, alkaline diet of high quality natural foods is recommended.
• Seeds of bitter gourd & Fenugreek.
• Vegetables: Bitter Gourd, string beans, cucumber, onion, garlic etc.
• Fruits: Indian Gooseberry, Jamun fruit, grapefruit etc.
• Grains: Bengal gram, black gram etc.
• Emphasis should be on raw vegetables & herbs as they play a part in stimulating the pancreas and enhancing insulin production.
Recommended Herbs to address Type 2 Diabetes:
• Methi (Trogonella foenumgraecum)
• Jambu (Eugenia heyneana)
• Gudmar (Gymnema sylvestre)
• Karela (Momordica charantia)
• Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)
• Khadir (Acacia catechu),
• Haridra (Curcuma longa),
• Amalki (Phyllanthus emblica),
• Vijaysar (Pterocarpus marsupium),
• Udumbar (Ficus glomerata),
• Kutki (Picrorhiza kurroa)
How do these herbs work in Diabetes?
The extracts of following herbs are very effective in Type I and Type II Diabetes because of its anti- diabetic properties:
• (Gudmar)Gymnema sylvestre : Is also called as Gurmar or “sugar destroyer” .It helps decrease the craving for sugar, thus reducing sugar intake. Also acts as hypoglycemic agent, diuretic having an oxidase action on glucose solution and slows glycolysis.
• (Jambu)Eugenia heyneana: Diuretic, anti diabetic. It diminishes the quantity of sugar in Urine, allays the unquenchable thirst of urine.
• (Vijaysar)Pterocarpus marsupium: Regulates B cells, mimics insulin and checks blood sugar level.
• (Karela)Momordica charantia: Astringent, controls blood sugar levels.
• (Kutki)Picrorhiza kurroa: Checks basal metabolism, bitter tonic, corrects the function of liver and kidney.
• (Methi)Trigonella foenumgraecum: Diuretic, decreases blood sugar level, stimulates appetite.
• (Guduchi)Tinospora cordifolia: Is an antioxidant and also anti diabetic.
Indications:
• Curative for Diabetes II (NIDDM).
• Good adjuvant for IDDM, in order to reduce the amount of needed Insulin.
• Advised along with existing oral hypoglycemic drugs.
• Is preventive as well as curative for diabetic complications.
• Is advised along with any integrated diabetes control program.
Research:
Patient with a mean blood sugar of 160 mg / dl (Fasting) and 180 mg/ dl (post prandial ) , and was on 6 oral hypoglycemic drugs along with 26 units and 16 units of Mixtard Insulin morning and evening respectively was treated with Diaved for 4 months. By the end of 4 months the mean blood sugar were 112 mg / dl (Fasting) and 101 mg / dl (post prandial) and the patient has stopped using three oral hypoglycemic drugs and the Insulin dosage has been reduced to 20 and 14 units respectively.
Available research work:
• Gudmar – Gupta SS et al, 1961, Indian J Med Sci, 15, 656 – 659; Indian Med Res, 1964, 52, 200-207) – Has hypoglycemic constituents: Gymnemic acids. Reduces glycosuria.
• Karela – Indian J Exp boil, 20, 232 – Was found to be comparable to that of glybenclamide and positively associated with lipogenesis.
• Vijaysar – India J Physiol Pharmacol, 3, 76 – has been claimed to check blood glucose level in rats after a glucose load.
So, go healthy and enjoy your life and give a tough competition to Diabetes by simply changing your dietary habits and by adopting above mentioned life giving herbs in your daily regimen. See you with next health topic under health & wellness tag soon.
P.S.: If you are diabetic and like to have regular tea/coffee or like to eat sweets/pastries/cakes etc., In-spite using Sugar free/Calorie free artificial sweetener, go for holistic & herbal natural calorie free sweetener STEVIA. The Aspartame artificial sweetener is very dangerous for your mental health. I would give a detailed comparative knowledge regarding Stevia and Aspartame in my next post under current tag.
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