Diabetes

A Fruity Way to Manage Diabetes

Quite often around the world (but not very often in North America), people who have been diagnosed with diabetes-especially Type II or adult onset diabetes-turn to the unripened fruit of a bitter melon for help. Grown in many tropical lands, karela is commonly used in India, the West Indies and China to help diabetics improve their glucose tolerance.

Because information about this fruit is not widely known in the West, ask your doctor or health practitioner to check with an expert in Asian medicine about bitter melon and its side effects when planning your treatment program for diabetes.

Aid from a Bay Leaf

For diabetes patients who don't yet need daily shots of insulin, eating food that has been prepared with bay leaves can help boost the body's ability to use and control glucose in the blood. (When glucose or sugar levels in blood rise too high, symptoms worsen.) In some cases, the bay leaf effect can extend by months the amount of time diabetics can avoid insulin shots or it can minimize their reliance on insulin shots.

Bay leaf tea can be made by steeping several bay leaves in hot water. Two to three cups a day is the suggested dosage. A less-effective alternative is to add the leaves to sauces (such as pasta sauce) or soups.

Caution: Never eat bay leaves directly, as they can be poisonous. And don't rely on this or any other alternative treatment to replace prescribed medications for diabetes.