DIABETES
PLEASE NOTE: All the research papers on this Web have been written by Sue Visser and will be forming part of a book she is writing. Although you are welcome to read them, you will have to ask for permission to publish or lecture about any part of her original work. You would be held responsible for any errors they might contain. (There are often important updates that have to be included )
By Sue Visser
Diabetes in later life has its origins in the deterioration of the hormonal status due to factors involving stress, poor eating and sleeping habits and adverse environmental factors such as toxicity and pollution. Micronutrient deficiencies develop in diets deficient in chrome, vanadium, calcium, magnesium and antioxidants. Without improving these conditions, the diabetic will not be able to fully recover. Insulin alone cannot solve this problem. Even a brand new pancreas will again deteriorate under these conditions.
At best, we can stress the importance of a good diet, fresh air and plenty of exercise to all these patients. At worst, we can provide more and more insulin, test kits and hospitals to take up the overflow of people suffering from complications of this disease that could have been prevented. The financial implications are so daunting that more cost- effective measures have to be found. Our overburdened economy should not be abused in this way. If a disease is preventable, let’s prevent it! It is only by warning people of the early symptoms of diabetes as well as hypoglycemia that significant improvements will be achieved.
SUPPLEMENT FOR DIABETICS
Diabetic research project,Sept.1999 by Sue Visser . NF RESEARCHER tel (021) 794 4045
Thank you for taking part in these diabetic trials. Improving your health and well being is our primary concern.
Please keep in touch with us and report back after you have completed the one month course of pills or at any time you need to ask questions. If you are keen to make dietary adjustments at this stage, we can provide you with a few basic guidelines. In the long run, the whole family will benefit from the extra effort involved in healthy eating habits. Remember that fresh air and exercise cost nothing, so try to have as much as you can each day !
FORMAT: 400 mg tablet.
DOSE : 2 tablets with breakfast, lunch and supper.
DESCRIPTION
25 herbs and micronutrients have been combined to help compensate for deficiencies that could be affecting the balance of blood sugar in hyperglycemic individuals. Many of these ingredients contain vitamins, trace elements and enzymes known to assist in glucose metabolism. Their combined action is intended to lower blood sugar levels and enhance insulin activity. It is hoped that this combination increases the uptake of glucose from the bloodstream so it can be used directly for energy in preference to immediate conversion for storage in fatty tissue.
INGREDIENTS
Brewer’s yeast and torula yeast : Rich sources of B complex vitamins, chrome, enzymes and amino acids.
Spirulina: Plant based amino acids similar to proportions required in the human body.
Anti-oxidants: Vitamin C, MSM ( methyl sulfonyl methane) Calcium –D Pantothenate (Vitamin B5) assists in manufacture of steroid hormones like cortisol.
Trace elements: zinc, copper, boron, chrome, manganese, potassium & magnesium for control of glucose tolerance.
Spices to assist insulin activity : cinnamon, cloves, fennel.
Herbs to stimulate digestion and tone the liver: taraxacum, liquorice, milk thistle, rosemary, Aloe Ferox.
SPECIAL PRECAUTION
The intended activity of this prototype formulation is hypoglycemic, Please note that lower blood sugar readings may result, especially if you take other hypoglycemic medications. For more information about alternative methods of dealing with hypoglycemia without the use of glucose and sweets.
Ethnie is a member of the Constantia Health and Racquet club. She and her husband are in their fifties and train every day at the gym. One day she was affected by a sudden onset of high blood sugar (23) and distorted vision. Sugar was reduced by AMORYL from her doctor but they could not get it lower than 8. Ethnie ate according to her new diet but still the sugar crept up. She had unpleasant side effects including dizziness and nausea. Her doctor was keen to give her the PROTOTYPE The next day sugar was controlled at below 5 and stays low. She continues to take the pills and eats a healthy diet.
TESTING ALTERNATIVE MEASURES FOR THE TREATMENT & PREVENTION OF DIABETES
CONTRIBUTION FROM: SUE VISSER tel (021) 794 4045 12 Uitsig Rd Constantia 7806 5th April 1999
With over two million confirmed diabetics in South Africa being treated every day, we have to ask ourselves the following questions:
Why are such increasing numbers of people affected by this disease? Many more pre-diabetics are as yet unaware of the early warning symptoms of blood sugar imbalances that require medical attention.
Why do so many patients reach such advanced stages of diabetes before seeking medical attention?
Is adult onset diabetes preventable? How could we make preventative measures more effective?
Are there alternative ways for diabetics to overcome and prevent further complications of this disease?How do micronutrient deficiencies, adrenal stress and blood sugar raising drugs like cortisone contribute to the cause of diabetes 2?
South Africans consume more sugar per capita than any other nation world-wide. Every year we consume more sugar and more people develop diabetes. We are reassured that sugar gives us energy and it is not a cause of diabetes. Is this true?
Do poor eating habits combined with stress and the total disregard for basic nutritional requirements lead to a host of stress related diseases that involve blood sugar imbalances that can lead to diabetes in later life?
Another alarming consideration is: if we don’t sponsor treatment for diabetics in the lower income groups, they are not able to afford expensive medications and will suffer without any help whatsoever.
If there are safe, cheap, natural methods to treat diabetes, why not put them to the test? We know that sensible eating habits alone, can cure type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately very few diabetics succeed in adhering to these diets because of the lure of sugar cravings and old habits.
Many people control diabetes and other blood sugar imbalances by using traditional herbal remedies and food supplements in combination with sensible dietary changes. Some of these methods are a lot cheaper than using regular insulin therapy, especially for borderline cases where complete insulin supplementation is not yet required. Could we encourage this process by making it easier for people?
Would diabetics be happy to take pills made out of herbs and food supplements to control their blood sugar if they had a choice and were introduced to a more holistic approach to the disease? Would this save both the patient and the medical institutions a lot of time and money?
When we administer insulin and other medications for diabetes; are we treating the true cause of this ailment or are we merely trying to treat the effects of a condition that reaches far deeper than a mere sugar imbalance?
What we are looking for are safe, economical and more effective remedies to prevent and treat adult onset diabetes. If we can identify the very early onset of diabetes and nip it in the bud, we can prevent a future generation of diabetics and alter medical history in South Africa. It is to this end that we need to investigate the contributions that complimentary and traditional Ethnic medicines have to offer us.
Diabetes, osteoporosis, weakened immunity and obesity are only some of the factors connected to the complicated web of endocrine activity in the body. We need to investigate the true cause of diabetes as most of us are left in the dark when it comes to understanding diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis and other side effects of hormonal imbalances. A detailed analysis of the pre-diabetic patient should also be undertaken in order to identify the early onset of blood sugar imbalances and how they affect the pancreas. Now is the time to look forward to a solution to a problem that has reached unmanageable proportions as more and more people present themselves to medical centres with full blown diabetes. Adult onset diabetes is a degenerative disease that we all agree is preventable and curable. We do our best in trying to advise people to make dietary changes and be on the lookout for early symptoms, but the growing statistics of advanced stages of diabetes 2 is proof enough that such measures are not as effective as they should be.
by Sue Visser.
Diabetes in later life has its origins in the decline of insulin sensitivity and it’s supply due to factors involving stress, poor eating and sleeping habits and adverse environmental factors such as toxicity and pollution. Without improving these conditions, the diabetic will not be able to fully recover. Insulin alone cannot solve this problem. Even a brand new pancreas will again deteriorate under these conditions. At best, we can stress the importance of a good diet, fresh air and plenty of exercise to all these patients along with a strictly controlled regimen.
At worst, we can provide more and more insulin, test kits and hospitals to take up the overflow of people suffering from complications that arise from neglect and mismanagement. The financial implications for government health institutions are so daunting that more economical measures may have to be investigated as an alternative to turning people away. It is enough of a struggle to keep emergency services running, let alone the treatment of chronic degenerative diseases that require expensive medications and special attention.
How can we benefit from new methods of treating diabetic patients? In the first place, adult onset diabetes is largely preventable and secondly the insulin dosage can be kept to a minimum if factors such as micronutrition and hypoglycaemic control are better understood. It is important to be able to recognise the initial onset of diabetes 2 or NIDDM (non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus) We have to identify the earliest symptoms of a disease if we wish to prevent it effectively.
A pre diabetic patient does not immediately present us with symptoms of hyperglycaemia with high levels of sugar in the blood and urine to test. In fact, the opposite takes place : hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar is the first sign of an imbalance in glucose metabolism. If we do not fully understand this stage of the disease, we will not be able to prevent or manage it with alternative medicine involving herbs, trace elements, vitamins and minerals. Some new exciting medications are being formulated out of these natural substances for the treatment of diabetes. They will provide the patient with an opportunity to deal with peripheral complications that arise from high doses of insulin and the ravages of prolonged high blood sugar.
Obesity is a major threat to these patients and insulin is notorious for converting glucose into fatty tissue. The advantages of adding herbal and traditional medicines to compliment this type of medication should be manifold.
A new range of naturally derived medications could be developed with the efficacy of each component being evaluated. It is no mean undertaking to gather all the traditional herbs and therapies that are used to treat diabetes but many of them have produced impressive results and can be easily incorporated into our modern lifestyle by making simple adaptations. The aim is to provide diabetics with new medications that will specifically enhance the metabolism of glucose whilst it is being released from food or the body itself. Other components in the pills could enhance the function of the liver and pancreas and provide anti-oxidants to prevent free radical damage to the pancreas as well as all the other organs like the liver and kidneys that are so vulnerable in diabetics.
Hypoglycaemic needs are met by reactivating the release of stored glucose from the liver when blood sugar levels drop. As hypoglycaemia is a prediabetic condition, these blood sugar releasing pills can correct this condition and should arrest the onset of diabetes 2 in most cases. This will also avert the need for treating this condition with even more glucose as it is preferable to encourage stored sugar to be metabolised to promote weight loss. For the NIDDM patient, it is essential to enhance the sensitivity of insulin whilst simultaneously promoting its production in the pancreas if obesity and other diabetic complications are to be prevented.
In cases where there is total or partial beta cell destruction in the pancreas, the patient relies on insulin therapy to compensate for the absence of insulin . As insulin is required to process glucose in the bloodstream, careful blood testing and insulin dosage is required. When excessive insulin is administered, hypoglycaemia results. The usual procedure is to compensate with glucose. If too much glucose or sugar is taken, hyperglycaemia results and the syndrome is repeated at a tremendous cost and inconvenience to the patient with no guarantee of glucose stability. A blood sugar releasing pill could be advantageous to these types of sugar imbalances. We all know that incorrect eating habits also aggravate this situation. Thus diet is of primary importance.
Unfortunately intelligent eating habits are difficult to enforce. Not all the recommended foods are readily available at most tuckshops or work canteens and even if they were, they would be too costly for lower income groups. Another problem is the low nutrient status of some of our modern denatured foods. There is no guarantee that your average diabetic is going to receive all the nutrients they require in exactly the correct proportions three to five times a day. Thus saying that diet alone is the solution to the diabetic dilemma is idealistic but unpractical in cases where patients are generally not going to co-operate.
Food supplements to accommodate the deficiencies that involve diabetes are often overlooked. This type of neglect places an increasing financial burden on the medical systems that are treating diabetics with only the aid of blood tests and insulin therapy. Further costs are incurred in treating the complications of diabetes such as : poor circulation, neuropathy, eye and kidney damage, impotence, weakened immunity and skin infections that affect mainly the feet and legs. These expenses can be reduced by introducing a cost effective maintenance program based on: essential food supplements, nutritious low cost foods that have been fortified and traditional remedies using natural products like herbs and spices. In many cases, these substances exhibit drug like properties. What excludes them from being used in standard medical treatments is their lowly status.
It is encouraging to know that for example: 1/8 of a teaspoon of cinnamon per day can treble the effectiveness of insulin. Vitamin C, chrome, vanadium, zinc, magnesium, calcium, manganese and vitamin B6 play vital roles in ensuring insulin utilisation and the maintenance of hyperglycaemia as well as hypoglycaemia. The antioxidant vitamins help to prevent the free radical damage that causes the destruction of blood vessels, muscles and pancreatic tissue. Insulin may be a contributing factor to the cause of atherosclerosis, according to new research. Many diabetics are vulnerable to heart disease, especially where obesity is a major problem. Insulin facilitates the increase of body fat. Long-term studies of vitamin E indicate its ability to prevent heart disease and improve the status of cardiac patients. If these natural products are doing such a wonderful job they deserve to be more scientifically investigated so that therapeutic regimens may be established.
In our search for natural alternatives for the prevention, maintenance and treatment of diabetic patients we have to become acquainted with all the options that are available to us. Many exuberant claims have been made about isolated products that can “cure” diabetes with a single blow. Financial empires may rise and fall as a product that has no clinical proof other than it being a “Swiss Formula” or a “Secret Recipe” is introduced to a desperate and gullible public. Some of these products do contain components that are effective in lowering insulin requirements or stabilising blood sugar but we need to know exactly how they work and why and on whom ? They could be dangerous in the wrong hands.
How can we evaluate individual herbs, spices, vitamins, amino acids and minerals as therapeutic substances? A practical approach would be to collect available information from reliable scientific references. A list of substances can then be grouped according to their particular functions, e.g.: insulin potentiators, sugar stabilisers, immune boosters, obesity factors, etc. Clinical trials will ensure an honest evaluation of a product or its components. Toxicity, side effects and dosage levels can then be established to serve as guidelines for an extended field study. Ideally, patients would be grouped according to their particular degree of development of type 1 or 2 diabetes or the pre-diabetic group i.e.: those exhibiting early stages of hypoglycaemia or blood sugar instability.
Although the onset of diabetes 1 cannot always be detected in time to prevent the loss of beta cells, the complications that arise from bad eating habits and micronutritional deficiencies are definitely avoidable with the use of very economical preventative measures. Insulin effectively lowers blood sugar but without certain minerals cellular uptake of glucose is prevented and it cannot be converted into energy. It has to be stored. This results in obesity and fatigue. When glucose is again required for cellular energy ,the reserves will not release the stored form. A major problem is the absence of micronutrients required to convert glycogen and triglycerides back into glucose and return it to the bloodstream. Adrenal stress and eventual burnout also interfere with the process of raising blood sugar by means of releasing cortisol when it is needed.
If the mechanisms of naturally raising blood sugar are better understood, the need for glucose compensation and excessive sugar consumption would fall away. Instead, the liver would release glycogen on demand and triglycerides from fat deposits would be converted into glucose to maintain energy levels. These factors are worth investigating in subjects suffering from blood sugar disorders where obesity has become unavoidable if not incurable. Fat people are always more vulnerable to heart disease. They are constantly under pressure to eat less. The medical norm is that they are eating too much. If they consume fewer kilojoules and exercise more, they are told that they can lose weight. Unfortunately too many people are not able to lose weight in this way. Modern investigations show that many other factors are involved in weight gain. The major culprit is the mismanagement of insulin. It is the most fattening hormone in the body!
Adult onset diabetes is a degenerative disease that we all agree is preventable and curable. It is to this end that we need to investigate the alternatives that complimentary and Traditional Ethnic medicines have to offer us. Many diabetics are already enjoying these benefits and bear testimony to the fact that there are many safe and effective alternative remedies for diabetics.
HEALTH THROUGH GOD’S PHARMACY by Maria Treben
DANDELION
5-10 stems (minus bloom) per day.or eat fresh leaves in salad.All round digestive aid. Stimulates liver, gall bladder, blood purifier, diuretic. Good for gout, rheumatism & glandular swellings..4 week treatment
EBERRY LEAVES(vegetable insulin)
contain Myrtillin which reduces blood sugar & remedies the illness.
URTICA URENS(stinging nettle)
Reduces blood sugar,heals pancreas, diuretic action.,blood cleanser, urinary disorders and inflammation of urinary passage, stimulates bowel, a tonic
ELDERBERRY (sambucus nigrans)
Leaves & shoots.
PLANTAIN (ribwort)
For treating infected wounds & ulcers on skin :open sores that won’t heal ,cuts, scratches, rashes. A soothing cure for skin inflammation of all kinds. Internally: respiratory disorders: asthma, bronchitis.
SWEDISH BITTERS
Good all round digestive stimulant.1 teaspoon before each meal in ½ glass water.Commercially available.
Also useful for skin and circulatory disorders when applied direct, as a mouthwash or used as compresses over affected area.
Formulation of Swedish Bitters :10g Aloe, 5g Myrrh, 0,2g Saffron, 10g Senna leaves