Naturally Combat Diabetes with Cinnamon
(NewsUSA) - An estimated 20 million people in the United States have diabetes. Another 54 million have prediabetes and won't even realize when it has progressed into full diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes, a disease in which your pancreas does not produce enough insulin or does not properly use the insulin it makes, is a life-long progressive condition. If ignored, it could lead to complications such as blindness, heart disease, nerve damage or kidney problems.
However, studies have shown that botanicals such as cinnamon can improve glucose metabolism and the overall condition of individuals with diabetes - improving cholesterol metabolism, removing artery-damaging free radicals from the blood and improving function of small blood vessels. Onions, garlic, Korean ginseng and flaxseed have the same effect.
One reason for the effect seems to be that cinnamon slows the rate at which food passes from the stomach to the intestines. Food supplements such as Cinnergen, developed by the health and technology company eFoodSafety.com, combines a mixture of 12 concentrated whole-food nutrient extracts including cinnamon, oat seed and blueberry leaf, as well as digestive enzymes to improve absorption.
If it is determined that you have diabetes, there are many things you can do to help control it naturally.
* Keep your blood glucose levels steady by eating healthy meals and snacks. Your doctor, nutritionist or certified diabetes educator can work with you to adjust your food plan and count carbohydrates.
* Always aim for your target ranges for your blood glucose levels, cholesterol and blood pressure. Test your blood sugar as directed.
* Exercise daily, such as taking a walk after dinner in your neighborhood or on the treadmill at the gym. Also have your feet examined when you visit the doctor.
* Have your eyes examined, including dilation, annually by your ophthalmologist.
* Drink a lot of water to stay hydrated.
* Avoid consuming simple sugars such as pies, cookies, cakes and candy. Do not drink alcohol on a regular basis.
* Consider taking a whole food supplement, such as Cinnergen. According to a study by Bucks County Clinical Research in Philadelphia, a research facility approved and regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, whole food extracts can have a dramatic effect on lowering blood sugars naturally. For more information, visit www.cinnergen.com.
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CINNAMON Latin Name : Cinnamomum Zeylanicum
The new discovery for western complementary medicine for diabetic care, this herb has been used both as medicine and a spice for thousands of years in the East. The inner bark of a handsome tropical tree. It is dried in shade and while drying it shrinks, curls and breaks into pieces. These pieces are used in spices and medicines.
Properties
The bark is bitter, sweet, aromatic, astringent, deodorant, stimulant, expectorant, diuretic, carminative (cures flatulence), protects from infectious diseases and helps drive off fever.
Uses
The leaves are slightly hot and bitter in taste and have a mouth-watering fragrance when cooked or fried. The bark has a pleasing fragrance and warm, sweet, aromatic taste in its natural or cooked state.
Cinnamon is used to cure bronchitis, asthma, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting, flatulence, fever, headaches, bad breath and toothaches.
Cinnamon oil is useful in anorexia, inflammations, vomiting, and pain in the stomach and toothache.
Ayurvedic uses for Cinnamon :
The leaves are used in the form of powder or decoction which is then added to medicines. They stimulate the peristaltic wave and help in relieving distention of the abdomen or flatulence. They also increase urination, which in a way helps in expelling metabolic waste products or toxins out of the body.
One ayurvedic school has recommended the use of cinnamon in brain tonics for improvisation of memory. Cinnamon is also considered useful for anxiety, depression and mental tension.
Cinnamon is considered a good remedy for irritating cough, common cold, allergic rhinitis, and acute and chronic sinusitis. It helps in relieving a choking sensation and cleans respiratory passages. Cinnamon, along with a few other herbal powders is boiled in water and used for gargling in case of sore throat. An herbal tea is prepared out of these medicines and served hot as a diaphoretic mixture in case of influenza and other unknown origin fevers. It induces sweating and helps in relieving the fever.
An ayurvedic carminative mixture for pediatric or adult use essentially contains cinnamon. It also has proved its merit as a mouth freshener. This is the reason why it is included in most of herbal toothpastes.
Cinnamon essential oil is said to have antispasmodic, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-infectious properties. Too much cinnamon essential oil can be a skin irritant and over use can be toxic.
Blends well with spearmint, clove, ylang-ylang, lavender, bay, benzoin, fir, and citrus oils.
