5 Herbs for Healthy Blood Sugar

 

Healthy blood sugar levels are much more than avoiding Type 2 Diabetes. Having chronically elevated blood sugar levels can impact various areas of your health, such as: 

• Damaging the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys and eyes.
• Hormonal imbalances: chronically elevated insulin levels can cause your ovaries to produce higher testosterone levels (1). This is commonly seen in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Increases your risk for heart attacks and strokes.
• High blood pressure.
• Slow healing wounds. 
• Sleep challenges such as sleep apnea (2).

As you can see, having chronically elevated blood sugar levels can impact nearly all areas of your body. Labs are great tools to help you identify whether your blood sugar levels are in check, but there are also a few symptoms and signs that can indicate blood sugar dysregulation. Some of these signs and symptoms include:

• Increased thirst (3).
• Fatigue.
• Recurrent infections: thrush and  yeast infections.
• Frequent urination, especially during the night. 
• Slow-healing wounds and cuts.
• Darker skin patches (3).

As you can see, having chronically elevated blood sugar levels can impact nearly all areas of your body. Labs are great tools to help you identify whether your blood sugar levels are in check, but there are also a few symptoms and signs that can indicate blood sugar dysregulation. Some of these signs and symptoms include:
When it comes to using herbal medicine, I like to combine them for clients instead of taking seven things at once. Also, a synergy happens when you combine herbs, and when you combine herbs with specific nutrients for blood sugar, you can start to make headway on reducing your levels.

This post will focus on herbs and how they help optimize blood sugar and insulin levels. You might need to adjust your dose if you are already taking a blood sugar-lowering prescription medication.

• Bilberry Leaf (Vaccinium myrtillus): Both the leaves and the berries of this plant have therapeutic properties; the leaf can lower blood sugar, while the berries may be helpful to treat and protect against diabetic retinopathy. The leaves contain high levels of anthocyanosides, and some molecules are responsible for reducing blood sugar.
• Gymnema (Gymnema sylvestre): also known as the “sugar destroyer” and is a hypoglycemic herb that suppresses appetite and is also an insulin secretagogue. As an insulin secretagogue, it allows your pancreas’ beta cells to get a rest from producing insulin. Gymena has a similar mechanism of action as sulfonylurea medications like Glucotrol, Amaryl, glipizide, or glyburide. It also blocks sugar from being absorbed in your intestines. 
• Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum ): has insulin-sensitizing properties, similar to metformin and pioglitazone medications. Not only can cinnamon help lower blood sugar, but it has also been shown to help with lowering triglycerides. You can add cinnamon to your cooking, but to get the results from this herb, you must ensure you take therapeutic doses.
• Bitter Melon (Momordica charantia): bitter melon is a vegetable that belongs to the same family of vegetables as cucumbers, watermelons, pumpkins, and squash. Bitter melon is an excellent example of food as medicine that is eaten regularly in many countries in Asia, Africa, and Caribbean countries. Bitter melon is the opposite of gymnema and works as an insulin sensitizer. It contains polypeptide-P, a seed protein that has a similar structure to animal insulin and will decrease blood sugar levels and the amount of insulin released from your pancreas.
• Berberine (Berberine vulgaris): an herb ideal for someone experiencing high blood sugar levels and high cholesterol (4). It has a similar mechanism of action to metformin but fewer GI side effects.

If you are curious about how to implement these herbs, schedule your complimentary consultation to learn more.

 

@myinfinite_wellness

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♬ Sunshine – WIRA

 

Sources:

1. Polly Watson MD FACOG NCMP IFMCP. (2019, November 19). Your blood sugar may be driving your hormone imbalance. HormoneWellness MD. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://hormonewellnessmd.com/womens-health/blood-sugar#:~:text=High%20insulin%20levels%20can%20tell,%2C%20fibroids%2C%20and%20heavy%20menses. 
2. Hyperglycaemia (High Blood Sugar). NHS inform. (2023, January 17). Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/blood-and-lymph/hyperglycaemia-high-blood-sugar#:~:text=Regularly%20having%20high%20blood%20sugar,doctor%20or%20diabetes%20care%20team.https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/blood-and-lymph/hyperglycaemia-high-blood-sugar#:~:text=Regularly%20having%20hihttps://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/blood-and-lymph/hyperglycaemia-high-blood-sugar#:~:text=Regularly%20having%20high%20blood%20sugar,doctor%20or%20diabetes%20care%20team.gh%20blood%20sugar,doctor%20or%20diabetes%20care%20team. 
3. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2022, November 19). Type 2 diabetes. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved February 22, 2023, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/type-2-diabetes/symptoms-causes/syc-20351193#:~:text=Diabetes%20is%20associated%20with%20an,damage%20(neuropathy)%20in%20limbs. 
4. Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2008 May;57(5):712-7. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2008.01.013. PMID: 18442638; PMCID: PMC2410097.