• Diabetes should be managed on a daily basis
• Check your blood sugar often
• If you take insulin injections, do so at certain scheduled times in order to maintain proper levels of glucose.
• A proper diet plays a very important role, whether you have Type 1 or Type 2. Cut back on your sweeteners (sugar, grape concentrate, corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, lactose and maltose) intake.Sugar increases LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
• Follow an exercise program approved by your physician

Development of Type 2 diabetes can be prevented or at least, significantly delayed.
Type 2 can be regarded as a modern nutritional disease.
Modest changes in diet and exercise can, over time, substantially lower the risk of developing the disease.
Pay attention to nutrition and diet, watch the carbohydrate intake and eat fruit and vegetables daily.
Since diabetes can be triggered by just 10 - 20 pound of excess weight, it is important to lower the body weight.
Being overweight does not cause IDDM but it does increase the need for more insulin.
Your M. D. or other health provider may prescribe standard medication for diabetes such as:
Tolinase® (tolazamide), Orinase® (tolbutamide), Micronase® (glyuride), and Glucotrol® (glipizide).
Not being very effective, they do not adequately control blood sugar in a significant percentage of cases and even for those who respond well, the effects may wear off over time.
Glucophage® (metformin) is a very popular drug for diabetes, which improves insulin resistance but since it also reduces the levels of vitamin B12 and folic acid and increases homocysteine levels, it may also increase the risk of heart disease.

Effect of Dietary Supplements & Herbs on Diabetes

Certain herbal supplements (botanicals) can be used as part of the diet to maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Natural medicine cannot cure Type 1 diabetes but it may help by making the body more receptive to insulin injection.
It is very important to work closely with your physician who prescribes the insulin, before using any of the herbal supplements.
Changes that make the body more receptive to insulin could also require certain changes in the dosage that must be addressed by the medical professional.
When Type 2 diabetes is involved, the body often makes enough insulin; the body however has trouble absorbing it.
Type 2 reacts well to natural medicine but making diet change should also be discussed with the treating physician.
Patients with diabetes often have high blood pressure (hypertension).
With all the research going on in recent years it is clear that controlling blood pressure and cholesterol levels are just as important as doing this with blood sugar.

Medicinal Plant & Herbs against Diabetes

There are several botanicals & herbs, that can be successfully employed against diabetes such as:

BITTER MELON (MOMORDICA CHARANTIA)

Properties:

• Hypoglycemic (lowering blood sugar) properties
• Enhancing cell uptake of glucose
• Promotes insulin release
• Potentiates the effect of insulin
• Reduces total cholesterol & triglycerides

JAVA PLUM (SYZYGIUM CUMINI)

Properties:

• Hypoglycemic (lowering blood sugar) properties
• Antioxidant properties

NONI (MORINDA CITRIFOLIA)

Properties:

• Can reduce or replace the use of anti - diabetic drugs
• Stabilizing (blood sugar level) glucose

BITTERWOOD (QUASSIA AMARA)

Properties:

• Stimulates the liver and among other properties, controls the blood sugar

QUEEN FLOWER (LAGERSTROEMIA SPECIOSA)

Properties:

• Lowers blood sugar levels (hypoglycemic effect)
• Facilitates glucose transport into cells
• Reduces amount of triglycerides