8 diabetes herbal remedies that you can get easily

Having diabetes mellitus should not make you despair. Even though it can't be cured, you can still control it so that the symptoms of diabetes don't bother you and you can live a normal life. Apart from maintaining a healthy lifestyle, taking medication and insulin therapy, alternative medicine, such as herbal medicine, is still the choice of most Indonesians to treat diabetes naturally.

Herbal plants for diabetes natural medicine

Maintaining normal blood sugar stability is the main key so that the body remains healthy even though you have diabetes. Of the many ways to control blood sugar, the use of natural remedies from herbal plants is still believed by most Indonesians as a supporting therapy for diabetes.

The reason is that natural ingredients are believed to have fewer side effects, are inexpensive, and safe. So, what herbal plants have the potential to reduce blood sugar levels in diabetics?

1. Ginseng

Ginseng is famous throughout the world for its prestige which is believed to be able to treat various diseases. The roots of this plant have been used for thousands of years to increase stamina.

A study found ginseng has natural ingredients that can be used as a diabetes herbal medicine. Natural compounds in ginseng are reported to help regulate the absorption of glucose in the body, thereby preventing blood sugar from spiking suddenly.

Other research published in Journal of Medicinal Plants Research also shows the efficacy of ginseng as a natural remedy for diabetes. Both the roots, berries and leaves of ginseng from American and Asian species are equally effective in helping control blood sugar levels.

From the research results, ginseng is known to reduce fasting blood sugar levels (GDP), blood sugar two hours after eating (GD2PP), and blood sugar for the last 3 months (HbA1c). However, the magnitude of the reduction effect varies greatly, depending on the amount of active compounds contained in each type of ginseng.

In fact, more research with a wider scope is needed to ensure the effectiveness of ginseng as a traditional diabetes medicine. Before taking ginseng as an herbal remedy for diabetes, consult your doctor first.

2. Turmeric

Not only a food flavoring, turmeric is also considered a potential natural diabetes drug to control blood sugar. The benefits of turmeric as a diabetes herbal medicine are obtained from its antioxidant content.

By consuming this traditional medicine, the blood sugar level of people with diabetes can drop by almost 18% after consuming 300 mg of turmeric in the form of herbal medicine per day.

Another study in the journal Diabetes Care showed that consuming 1.5 grams of turmeric daily for 9 months prevented the development of type 2 diabetes in people with prediabetes. In addition, turmeric has also been shown to prevent diabetes complications.

3. Cinnamon

Furthermore, there is cinnamon that you can use as a natural diabetes medicine. This herb is believed to reduce levels of insulin resistance, lower blood sugar levels after meals, and fight inflammation because it can increase glucose metabolism.

One of the studies that supports the benefits of cinnamon to lower blood sugar is research from Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology.

From the research, it was found that consuming 1, 3 or 6 grams of cinnamon per day for people with type 2 diabetes can reduce blood sugar levels and the risk of diabetes complications related to high blood pressure and heart disease.

Of course, that does not mean that consuming cinnamon makes you free to consume sugar and carbohydrates. You still have to follow diabetes-specific healthy eating rules.

To add this diabetes folk remedy to your diabetes diet, try to follow these instructions:

Add adding ¼-½ teaspoon of cinnamon per day in your diet, either in food or drink. First, consult a doctor.
Always use the same dose every day to avoid blood sugar levels that fluctuate rapidly.
Use ground or stick cinnamon, not processed cinnamon products like cinnamon oil, for example.Methylhydroxychalcone polymer (MHCP)The main ingredient in cinnamon, which has an insulin-like effect and increases insulin sensitivity, is not found in cinnamon oil.

Even so, there are still many studies whose results are contradictory regarding the effect of cinnamon in controlling blood sugar levels.

Therefore, further research is needed to confirm that cinnamon can be relied on as a traditional diabetes medicine.

4. Black cumin

Since its appearance, black cumin is believed to be a natural remedy for treating various diseases, including diabetes.

Black cumin or also known as Black Seed, is known to be able to fight inflammation, reduce blood fat levels, and maintain heart and liver health. Research on journals Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity carried out on animals also found the same thing.

The benefits of Black Seed as a diabetes herbal medicine come from its antioxidant content thymoquinone. These antioxidants have been observed to control blood sugar as well as help improve insulin secretion production.

Antioxidants thymoquinone can also prevent diabetic dyslipidemia. Dyslipidemia is a condition when the level of fat in the blood is abnormal, either too high or too low.

Other studies have found that black cumin can help lower fasting blood sugar, post-meal blood sugar, and HbA1c levels.

Unfortunately, the various studies conducted on caraway as a traditional diabetes medicine are still limited to animals. Clinical trials in humans are still needed to prove the benefits of black cumin as a diabetes herbal medicine.

5. Ginger

Ginger is a type of spice that is popular because of its abundant benefits, including as a diabetes herbal medicine.

Research in journals Complementary Therapies in Medicine showed that ginger was able to reduce fasting blood sugar levels and HbA1c levels in 88 diabetics who consumed 3 grams of ginger every day for eight weeks.

The benefits of ginger as a diabetes herbal medicine are not only that. Ginger is known to prevent inflammation that causes eye complications, as well as heart disease due to diabetes.

However, again the results of studies regarding the benefits of ginger as a diabetes natural remedy are still limited. Further research is needed to determine the effectiveness and safety of ginger as an herbal medicine for diabetes.

6. Aloe vera

Aloe vera is very popular as a natural ingredient for treating skin and hair health. Not only has the potential for body beauty, this plant also has properties as a diabetes herbal medicine.

Quoted from the Global Diabetes Community page, aloe vera can reduce fasting blood sugar levels (GDP) so it is good for consumption as a natural diabetes medicine. In addition, aloe vera is also known to help lower blood lipid levels in people with type 2 diabetes.

The benefits of aloe vera as a diabetes herbal medicine are also obtained from the content of lectins, mannans, and anthraquinones in aloe vera. These active compounds are known to relieve diabetic wounds by relieving swelling and speeding up the healing process due to complications of diabetes.

Even so, until now it is not known what the long-term impact of using aloe vera as a diabetes medicinal plant. That is why, further research is needed regarding the benefits and safety of aloe vera as a diabetes herbal medicine.

7. Shallots

Red onions are believed to be useful in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, not many studies have been conducted to test the truth of this herbal plant as a natural diabetes medicine.

However, one of the studies in the journal Environmental Health Insights which involved people with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes showed that eating 100 grams of raw onion per day can lower blood sugar. Other research also states that onions can reduce blood sugar levels after eating.

Experts suspect that onions can be used as herbal medicine for people with diabetes by increasing insulin levels and helping the process of lowering blood sugar levels.

8. Soursop leaves

Apart from the fruit that can be enjoyed directly or used as juice and ice cream flavoring ingredients, the soursop leaves are also used for natural remedies, one of which is an herbal medicine for diabetes.

In the journal Pharmacognosy Research A study in 2017 showed that soursop leaf extract is known to contain polyphenols and flavonoids which are antihyperglycemic in nature and can reduce the rate of breakdown of sugar from food to become simpler.

This gives the pancreas more time to produce enough insulin to aid in the absorption of blood sugar. In other words, soursop leaf extract has the potential to control blood sugar levels in diabetics

To get the benefits of soursop leaves as a diabetes medicinal plant, you can process it in various ways, namely:

Drinking boiled water of soursop leaves.
It is made tea by boiling soursop leaves with other herbal plants and adding honey.
Take soursop leaf supplements.

Even so, further research is still needed, especially to test the effectiveness of soursop leaves as a diabetes herbal medicine in the human body because the results of this study are still limited to animals.

Things to know about diabetes herbal remedies

So far, research shows that there are only a few natural herbal medicinal plants that have the potential to lower blood sugar in diabetic patients.

Even so, you need to know that natural medicine still cannot be used as a substitute or the only main treatment for diabetes that you are experiencing.

Herbal medicine is actually a complement that is used in conjunction with medical diabetes drugs; provided that, it has first been discussed and approved by the doctor.

It is important to understand that the diabetes herbal remedies mentioned above is not always safe and has the same effect for everyone. Some people may feel the benefits, but not for others.

Diabetic patients with a history of allergies or other chronic diseases, such as cancer, high blood pressure (hypertension), and heart disease, may experience dangerous reactions after consuming certain traditional medicines.

Therefore, you should first consult with your doctor before using any herbal remedies if you experience diabetes. Remember, a lot of medical research is still needed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the traditional ingredients that have been mentioned above to become diabetes drugs.

Be careful when making diabetes treatment options for your condition. Make sure the drugs you take and the therapy you are doing have the benefits that outweigh the risks.