Natural Diabetes Treatment: A Little Known Supplement for a Well-Known Disease

Diabetes is the No. 6 leading causes of deaths in the United States, according to 2001 data from the United States National Center for Health Statistics. Diabetes (both type 1 and 2) is a disease in which your body loses its ability to use or produce insulin, a hormone vital in controlling blood sugar levels. A high blood sugar level, or hyperglycemia, is a potentially fatal condition that requires immediate attention. The University of Michigan Health System lists these warning signs that your blood sugar may be getting too high:

• Blurred vision.
• Dry mouth.
• Excessive thirst.
• Increased urination.
• Fatigue.

Diabetes treatment aims at preventing hyperglycemia and also the damage it can cause to internal organs. Most diabetes treatments, especially the less "heavy-duty" natural ones, are also useful at preventing diabetes amongst those considered at high risk.

Natural Diabetes Treatment: A New Hope

More and more people today are looking for a natural remedy for diabetes that can at least supplement conventional treatment and hopefully lessen the need for pharmaceuticals. This is understandable, as diabetes is a lifetime condition with no cure. Therefore a diabetes treatment that is natural, and prevents the need for insulin regular shots, is always sought after. There has been research done into a number of naturally occurring supplements and one in particular, alpha lipoic acid has shown promise as a natural diabetes treatment.

Introducing Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

ALA is of the most potent and active antioxidants known. Known, that is, to scientists. It is little known as a supplement, yet it is an incredibly versatile molecule. The body actually makes enough alpha lipoic acid to perform some basic metabolic functions. However, it only acts as an antioxidant, and an effective treatment for diabetes, when it is above the body's threshold of what it requires for these basic functions. The only way to get an excess is, of course, to take supplements-but will it work as a diabetes treatment if you do?

Well, a recent study done by a medical center in Russia, in collaboration with Mayo Clinic, found that ALA, or alpha lipoic acid, reduced the frequency and severity of diabetes symptoms. The March 2003 issue of the magazine Diabetes Care published the findings about diabetes treatment with ALA. What was surprising was how quickly the body responded to ALA's use. Here are the other findings:

• There were no marked side effects
• There was a great improvement in the damage to the nerves caused by the condition
• There was a noticeable lessening of pain
• There was a 5.7 total score improvement in those who took ALA as a diabetes treatment. Those who took a placebo were recorded as having an improvement of just 1.8.

This naturally occurring compound may just be the diabetes treatment needed to stop the escalating numbers of diabetes patients, and diabetes fatalities, all over the world. It is an effective antioxidant and has been found to prevent vitamin E and vitamin C deficiency. Besides diabetes treatment, studies have shown that it could be useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease as well.