Seeking resources for Type 1 Diabetes
Hi guys,
Do any of you have actual personal experience and results of treating an adolescent with type 1 diabetes herbally/naturally?
If not, do any of you have strong and trustworthy resources you could recommend where I could find some reliable information?
Comments
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I believe type 1 is the body not producing insulin so herbal ‘remedies’ while helpful in improving overall health aren’t likely to remove the need for insulin.
Not any experience with childhood onset but several adult friends and family. Assuming they are a teenager of normal intelligence they need to be allowed to take charge of their lifestyle changes to manage the disease. Having an insulin pump and glucose monitor that work together will help tremendously. Also, you can look into service dogs that are trained to alert when they detect low/high sugars. Some family dogs will tune into the situation without formal training and then you can look into getting them recognized as a service dog and thus allowed to go along with the child wherever they go.
A dietician specializing in childhood diabetic care (general diabetic care at a minimum) would be a good start and you should be given referrals from their doctor and/or insurance. Start a food and activity diary on their phone to help them learn how their body reacts to various foods and activities.
There are also summer camp programs that your family may find of interest, I expect the childhood diabetic association will have info on camps and other information you need to get started in your learning about this disease.
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@nicksamanda11 I have no experience, but do trust K. P. Khalsa's knowledge. He offers a 2 part series for approximately $60, which, considering that it is a 2 piece course, is decent. It covers both type 1 & 2.
He likely has more courses if you do a search, but this sounds likely to be what you want.
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I appreciate the resource Laurie.
Karon, I'm sure you meant well, but I was seeking actual experience with this specific subject or solid herbal resources about this issue. Not advice. This is not personal- I'm doing research.
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@nicksamanda11 I have not personally treated someone with Type 1 diabetes, however I have two family members with Type 1. Both were diagnosed before the age of 1. It has been very challenging for the parents.
As far as I know, there are no herbs that will substitute for or remove the need for insulin in Type 1 diabetics. There are herbs that are being used as adjuncts to conventional meds but they shouldn't be used on their own.
Research is ongoing and some of it may benefit Type 2 diabetics for insulin replacement.
This is a link to a study that you might find applicable to your research.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1365-2702.2008.02464.x
However, this study states "Botanical substitute for insulin seems unlikely, but complementary alternative treatments may provide valuable clues for the development of new oral hypoglycaemic agents and simple dietary agents."
I would add to @karon's advice and recommend a holistic nutritionist instead of a dietician. I have heard some rather conflicting (and negative) advice come from the dietician who works at the diabetic clinic in my area.
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Hello, @nicksamanda11; When we're faced w/ heath issues it can be helpful to look at it over the long view. How was it dealt w/ in the past? The medical establishment did not always have insulin; what did they do then? According to wikiapedia, insulin (bovine) was first used in Canada in 1922. Before it became a medicine, the medical practice was to limit carbohydrates 2% of the total diet. This is, to my knowledge, the first instance of a ketogenic diet. This was the medical treatment for diabetes, type 1, until commercial insulin became available. During the nineteen-teens (1910(?)-1920s) the only way to treat type 1 diabetes was to limit the need for insulin by keeping carbohydrate consumption very low, 2% or less. Later the keto diet was usd to treat juvenile epilepsy. So the keto diet was a medical therapy over 100 years ago & has been used to treat juvenile epilepsy for 80 years. Since there are keto-safe sweeteners available now, theoretically it is possible to eat a keto diet AND have relatively 'normal' foods. One last point is a very low carb diet will lower nutritional needs because carbs require nutrients that are not present is sufficient quantity in high-carb foods. Plus, some high carb foods contain anti-nutrients which increase nutritional needs. So some think a low carb diet can promote healing via better nutrition. The carnivore diet seems to produce this effect but any sufficiently low carb diet should help. I hope this is helpful.
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@sl0j0n Welcome to the forum! The information you gave looks helpful and gives more balance.
Please give us an idea where you are from in our Introductions section found here:
https://community.thegrownetwork.com/categories/introductions
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This may help. Type 1 is caused dietary deficiencies in the mother. Type 2 is remedied by adding chromium and vanadium to the diet. I have 6 friends who speedily went from diabetic to normal with these supplements. So it may help with type 1, though it may take longer.
The best food sources are cinnamon and cloves, but how much can you eat of those?. You can buy Vanadyl Sulfate at a vitamin store. Look for higher potency. But start slowly because it may drastically reduce the need for insulin.
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Hi
This is not specific for type 1. However related to diabetes.
Recently Univ of Houston published a study whereby simple exercise with Soleus muscle helped reduce sugar levels due to oxidative metabolism of glucose in that particular muscle.
It is not allowing me to post the link here.
Here is the info.
A potent physiological method to magnify and sustain soleus oxidative metabolism improves glucose and lipid regulation
Marc T. Hamilton, Deborah G. Hamilton, and Theodore W. Zderic
I can share the video/ link with anyone who can post it here.
Saroj
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Type 1 diabetes is now considered to be an auto-immune disease in which the body's immune system attacks and destroys the insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. Once these cells are dead there is no way for the pancreas to produce its own insulin to regulate glucose in the body.
Diabetes may be genetic. It may also be triggered by an infection or by environment toxins causing the immune system to become overly aggressive.
A very low-carb or 0-carb diet was the only treatment available before the development of insulin, however, it was not a cure and it only extended life for a few months (or possibly a few years) following diagnosis. Diabetes was always fatal before insulin. No one lived a full life.
So while a low-carb or keto diet may help reduce the amount of insulin required and improve health outcomes in Type 1 diabetes, the person is still going to need insulin.
There are many incidents of Type 2 diabetics reducing or eliminating the need for insulin or other meds, through lifestyle changes (diet & adequate nutrition, addressing vitamin & mineral levels, exercise, good sleep hygiene, reduced stress, etc.) but this should be monitored by a practitioner until the patient is stablized with their sugar levels.
There are other concerns with diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic neuropathy. Kidney disease. Cardiovascular disease. Ulcerations of the skin. Some of these things can be assisted with herbal medicines and other treatments. For example, cayenne is recommended as a topical treatment to assist with neuropathy and lack of circulation in the extremities. Hawthorn assists the cardiovascular system. But any herbs (even topical ones) should be taken under the guidance of a practitioner so they can be monitored and properly dosed for the individual patient with consideration for their other meds.
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Thanks everyone. This is a good discussion. I appreciate everyone that chimed in.
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Possible relation to Insulin Resistance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOD3x3TDHE
Other resources:
Dr. Mindy Pelz
Dr. Benjamin Bikman
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Can you try to pm the link to me? If this works, Ill try to put it into your post for you.
Sometimes it is a matter of taking the "s" out of the "https" or sometimes if you post a link and hit return, it is enough to mess up the link. Sometimes it is something else. 🤔
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@srm.columbus Welcome to the forum! We encourage new posters to give us a general idea where they are from in our Introductions section. You eill be able to find the link in one of my posts above (the 7th post up from this one). 😄
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Type 1 is becoming common in adults, so I think it is autoimmune. My sister got rheumatoid arthritis in her 40s, Type 2 diabetes shortly after, and then developed Type 1 in her 50s.
There are some people who believe the drug metformin, given to Type 2 diabetics, may damage pancreas cells. No scientific proof of that however.
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