Ask Arlene about herbs that are good for diabetics ©

Ask Arlene about herbs that are good for diabetics ©

By Arlene Wright-Correll

A recent email question asks, “Do you know of any herbs that are good for diabetics?”

Millions of people in the United States have diabetes including me. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 29.1 million people in the US have this disease, which accounts for 9.3% of the total population. Unfortunately, diabetes can’t be completely cured and eliminated but you can keep it under control. If you, or someone you know, have diabetes then you’d be glad to know that some herbs and spices can help in blood sugar regulation. I know of 6 of them that really work.

We all use cinnamon  when we bake all the time. Here’s one more reason why we should continue to do so; it can help us manage diabetes. Cinnamon is known for its abilities to reduce blood sugar levels and it has beneficial effects on insulin resistance.  Cinnamon will help control diabetes because it decreases the amount of glucose that enters our bloodstream after each meal and it interferes with number of digestive enzymes that slows the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract. I know one gal that drinks it down each day in a glass of something or another and the compounds in cinnamon can act on cells by mimicking insulin.

If you subscribe to the ancient Ayurvedic medicine as we often do, then Basil is one of the most important herbs. Basil can increase secretion of insulin in Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, it can lower fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels. Also, basil can protect your body from damage. Diabetics are prone to cardiovascular diseases. In fact, heart-related problems are the leading cause of death in diabetics. Luckily, basil has cholesterol-lowering properties and is able to reduce levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

Ginger  has number of health benefits including the ability to lower blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes according to a confirmed study conducted by Mozaffari-Khosravi H. and team of researchers from Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Yazd Diabetes Research Center at Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences in Yazd, Iran.

This study included 88 participants who were divided into two groups and one group received 3 one-gram capsules each day for 8 weeks, while other group received placebo.  Findings, published in the Complementary Therapies in Medicine, showed that blood sugar levels significantly decreased in people who received ginger capsules.  If you don’t really feel like taking ginger capsules, then include three cups of ginger tea a day to your diet.

We are a great advocate of Turmeric  because it has anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, neuroprotective and antioxidant properties. Also, due to anti-glycaemic properties, turmeric keeps your pancreas healthy. This is extremely important because pancreas handles insulin production in your body. Additionally, turmeric has the amazing ability to lower blood sugar levels as well as levels of triglycerides in your organism thus protecting you from cardiovascular diseases as well.  Since being overweight or obesity puts you at a great risk of getting diabetes, turmeric can help you manage and even lose weight by controlling cholesterol levels, improving digestion and preventing the accumulation of damaging fats. Also turmeric strengthens your immune system which can be severely affected by diabetes thus protecting you from a wide range of diseases and illnesses.

If you don’t drink chamomile tea, here’s the reason why you should because it helps managing diabetes. Chamomile can suppress blood sugar levels and increase storage of glycogen (the storage form of sugar) in your liver. In turn, you avoid hyperglycemia or having extremely high levels of blood sugar.  Chamomile has always been known for its relaxing and soothing properties. After a long and exhausting day, a cup of chamomile tea is everything you need to relax, sleep better, and manage your diabetes.

Both rosemary  and oregano  have the ability to interfere with a diabetes-related enzyme in the same way that medications for diabetes do. This was confirmed in the study conducted by Elvira Gonzalez de Mejia, PhD, of the Division of Nutritional Sciences and Department of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition University of Illinois at Urbana, Champagne. Researches used both fresh and dried versions of these herbs and got the same results. You can find this study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.

Spices and herbs are a great addition to your meals, beating salt and they also contain a wide range of health benefits, including lowering blood sugar levels and regulating insulin. If you don’t have a habit of including these spices and herbs into your diet, we think you should do so right away.

We seem to adhere to a lot of Eastern medical philosophy at Home Farm Herbery so you better check with you doctor to see whether you have diabetes or not. 

May the Creative Force be with you!

Arlene Wright-Correll

Home Farm Herbery LLC