Ayurveda Herbal Remedy for Regulating Blood Sugar
Contributed by India Herbs (http://www.india-herbs.com):
The term diabetes is derived from the Greek word diabaínein that literally means “passing through,” or “siphon”, a reference to one of diabetes’ major symptoms—excessive urine production.
Because insulin is the principal hormone that regulates uptake of glucose into most cells from the blood (primarily muscle and fat cells, but not central nervous system cells), deficiency of insulin or the insensitivity of its receptors plays a central role in all forms of diabetes mellitus.
There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States, or 7% of the population, who have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, unfortunately, 6.2 million people (or nearly one-third) are unaware that they have the disease.
In order to determine whether or not a patient has pre-diabetes or diabetes, health care providers conduct a Fasting Plasma Glucose Test (FPG) or an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT). Either test can be used to diagnose pre-diabetes or diabetes. The American Diabetes ociation recommends the FPG because it is easier, faster, and less expensive to perform.
Major Types of Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes
Results from the body’s failure to produce insulin, the hormone that “unlocks” the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them. It is estimated that 5-10% of Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 1 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes
Results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.
Symptoms of Type 2 diabetes may include fatigue, thirst, weight loss, blurred vision and frequent urination. Some people have no symptoms. A blood test can show if you have diabetes. Exercise, weight control and sticking to your meal plan can help control your diabetes. You should also monitor your glucose level and take medicine if prescribed.
Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes affects about 4% of all pregnant women – about 135,000 cases in the United States each year.
Pre-diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a condition that occurs when a person’s blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. There are 54 million Americans who have pre-diabetes, in addition to the 20.8 million with diabetes.
Diabetes Symptoms
Symptoms of type 1 diabetes are often dramatic and come on very suddenly.
Type 1 diabetes is usually recognized in childhood or early adolescence, often in ociation with an illness (such as a virus) or injury.
The extra stress can cause diabetic ketoacidosis.
Symptoms of ketoacidosis include nausea and vomiting. Dehydration and often-serious disturbances in blood levels of potassium follow.
Without treatment, ketoacidosis can lead to coma and death.
Symptoms of type 2 diabetes are often subtle and may be attributed to aging or obesity.
A person may have type 2 diabetes for many years without knowing it.
People with type 2 diabetes can develop hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome.
Type 2 diabetes can be precipitated by steroids and stress.
If not properly treated, type 2 diabetes can lead to complications like blindness, kidney failure, heart disease, and nerve damage.
Common symptoms of both major types of diabetes
Fatigue: In diabetes, the body is inefficient and sometimes unable to use glucose for fuel. The body switches over to metabolizing fat, partially or completely, as a fuel source. This process requires the body to use more energy. The end result is feeling fatigued or constantly tired.
Unexplained weight loss: People with diabetes are unable to process many of the calories in the foods they eat. Thus, they may lose weight even though they eat an apparently appropriate or even excessive amount of food. Losing sugar and water in the urine and the accompanying dehydration also contributes to weight loss.
Excessive thirst (polydipsia): A person with diabetes develops high blood sugar levels. The body tries to counteract this by sending a signal to the brain to dilute the blood, which translates into thirst. The body encourages more water consumption to dilute the high blood sugar back to normal levels and to compensate for the water lost by excessive urination.
Excessive urination (polyuria): Another way the body tries to get rid of the extra sugar in the blood is to excrete it in the urine. This can also lead to dehydration because excreting the sugar carries a large amount of water out of the body along with it.
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Ayurveda Medicine: A Natural Remedy Explained
Contributed by: (http://www.india-herbs.com):
Co-Founder of India Herbs explains the Science of Ayurveda.
Overview
Ayurvedic Medicine is also called Ayurveda. It is a system of medicine that originated in India several thousand years ago. The term Ayurveda combines two Sanskrit words: ayur, which means life, and veda, which means science or knowledge. Ayurveda means “the science of life.”
Ayurveda is a whole medical system which integrates and balances the body, mind, and spirit (thus, it is considered “holistic”). This balance is necessary for contentment and good health. Ayurveda also proposes treatments for specific health problems. A primary aim of Ayurvedic medicine is to cleanse the body of substances that can cause disease. This helps re-establish the harmony and balance necessary for optimal health.
Ayurveda has long been the main system of health care in India. About 70 percent of India’s population lives in rural areas; about two-thirds of rural people use Ayurveda and medicinal plants to meet their primary health care needs. In addition, most major cities have an Ayurvedic college and hospital. There are 587,536 registered traditional medical practitioners, 2,860 hospitals providing Ayurvedic treatment, and 22,100 dispensaries for traditional medicine in India. This allows over 500 million people in India to rely solely on Ayurveda today.
Ayurveda and variations of it have also been practiced for centuries in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. The professional practice of Ayurveda in the United States began to grow and became more visible in the late 20th century.
Professional Accreditation
Practitioners of Ayurveda have various types of training. Some are trained in the Western medical tradition (such as medical or nursing school) and then study Ayurveda. Others may have training in naturopathic medicine, a whole medical system, either before or after their Ayurvedic training. Many study in India, where there are more than 150 undergraduate and more than 30 postgraduate colleges for Ayurveda. This training can take up to 5 years.
Reliance on Herbs
According to World Health Organization report, over 80% of the world population relies on plant-based traditional medicine for their primary healthcare needs.
In Ayurveda, the distinction between food and medicine is not as clear as in Western medicine. Food and diet are important components of Ayurvedic practice, and so there is a heavy reliance on treatments based on herbs and plants, oils (such as sesame oil), common spices (such as turmeric), and other naturally occurring substances.
Currently, some 5,000 products are included in the “pharmacy” of Ayurvedic treatments. Historically, plant compounds have been grouped into categories according to their effects. For example, some compounds are thought to heal, promote vitality, or relieve pain. The compounds are described in many texts prepared through national medical agencies in India. The following are examples of commonly used herbs:
• The spice turmeric has been used for various diseases and conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and wound healing.
• An extract from the resin from a tropical shrub (Commiphora mukul, or guggul) has been used for a variety of illnesses. In recent years, there has been research interest in its use to lower cholesterol.
• The essential oil extracted from Holy Basil is used as counteract depression and mental stress.
India has 16 agro-climatic zones, 45,000 different plant species, and 15,000 medicinal plants. The Indian Systems of Medicine have identified 1,500 medicinal plants, of which 500 species are mostly used in the preparation of drugs. These medicinal plants contribute to 80% of the raw materials used in the preparation of Ayurvedic Medicine.
Regulatory Situation
Ayurveda and Yoga are recognized by the Government of India. The first step in granting this recognition was the creation of the Central Council of Indian Medicine Act of 1970. The main mandates of the Central Council are as follows:
• to standardize training by prescribing minimum standards of education in traditional medicine, although not all traditional practitioners and homeopaths need to be institutionally trained to practice;
• to advise the central Government in matters relating to recognition / withdrawal of medical qualifications in traditional medicine in India;
• to maintain the central register of Indian medicine, revise the register from time to time, prescribe standards of professional conduct and etiquette, and develop a code of ethics to be observed by practitioners of traditional medicine in India. All traditional medicine practitioners and homeopaths must be registered to practice.
The Indian Government seeks the active and positive use of traditional medicine in national health programmes, family welfare programmes, and primary health care.
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