Alternative Treatments for Dibetes

Alternative Treatments for Dibetes

ALTERNATIVE TREATMENTS
FOR DIABETES

by Simeon
Margolis, MD PhD, and Christopher Saudek, MD

In recent years, a growing interest and
market has emerged for the use of "alternative" therapies to manage
diabetes. Several natural remedies and nutritional supplements reportedly reduce
blood glucose levels. Other techniques are purported to treat or prevent the
major complications of diabetes, including peripheral vascular disease and CHD.
Following are some of the more common alternative treatments for diabetes. While
several of them show enough promise to warrant further study, there is little
or no hard medical evidence that any is as effective as insulin or oral diabetes
drugs in controlling blood glucose levels or preventing complications. If you
wish to consider trying one of these options, do so in addition to, not instead
of, your prescribed treatment regimen.
ALPHA-LIPOIC ACID is an antioxidant
nutrient that neutralizes free radicals, which damage cells. (Several diabetes
complications, including neuropathy and cataracts, may be mediated by such free
radicals.) A review article by Lester Packer, PhD, of the University of California
at Berkeley, theorizes that alpha-lipoic acid has potential applications for
both prevention and treatment of diabetes and its complications. He cites two
placebo-controlled, short-term studies in which daily injections of alpha-lipoic
acid reduced pain and numbness in people with diabetic neuropathy (though objective
measurements showed no improvement in nerve function.) However, little other
evidence supports the benefits of alpha-lipoic acid for treating diabetes, and
long-term studies are needed to prove its effectiveness.
CHELATION THERAPY--which administers
the chelating agent EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) intravenously
in 20 to 30 treatments--is purported to remove plaque from artery walls. Considered
the standard treatment for lead poisoning, chelating agents bind to heavy metals
and remove them in the urine. Advocates claim that chelation can also treat
diabetes complications such as peripheral vascular disease, CHD, and stroke--and
is at least as effective as more costly conventional therapies. However, the
American Heart Association's Task Force on New and Unestablished Therapies found
no scientific evidence to demonstrate any benefit from chelation therapy in
treating arteriosclerotic heart disease. And two placebo-controlled studies
showed that infusions of EDTA were no more effective than salt water in alleviating
symptoms of peripheral vascular disease.
CHROMIUM is an essential mineral found
in trace quantities in drinking water and many foods. Necessary in tiny amounts
for many bodily processes, chromium increases insulin's effectiveness in making
blood glucose available to cells. Growing evidence indicates that deficiencies
in chromium can lead to impaired glucose tolerance, and a few studies have suggested
that some people with diabetes may benefit from chromium supplements (which
usually also contain picolinate, a substance that may increase chromium absorption
into the bloodstream.) However, other studies have shown no beneficial effect.
One possible reason for the conflicting results: Supplements may only benefit
those who are chromium-deficient, a condition rare in the U.S. Currently, no
method can reliably measure chromium levels in the body, so it is impossible
to determine who may benefit from supplements.
EVENING PRIMROSE OIL, which comes from
the seeds of the evening primrose wildflower, contains large amounts of the
essential fatty acid gamma-linoleic acid (GLA). One placebo-controlled study
published 11 years ago reported that GLA reversed neurological damage in patients
with diabetic neuropathy. However, no subsequent research has supported this
finding, nor have objective studies substantiated the many other claimed benefits
of GLA.
GINKGO BILOBA is the world's oldest
living tree species. Extracts of ginkgo leaves are widely used in Europe to
treat a variety of conditions, including memory loss, circulatory problems,
and diabetes. Believed to work by stimulating blood flow in the body, German
studies have found that ginkgo may reduce coldness, numbness, and cramping in
the limbs due to peripheral vascular disease.
GYMNEA SYLVESTRE is a common plant in
Africa and India. In a branch of alternative medicine known as Ayurvedic medicine,
leaves from this plant have been used to manage diabetes for centuries. Although
gymnea sylvestre is said to lower blood glucose in rats, there have been no
placebo-controlled studies of the plant in people. Other than suppressing the
taste of sweet foods, there is no evidence that it helps people with diabetes.

VANADIUM (vanadyl sulfate) is a trace
element that appears to exhibit a variety of insulin-like effects. Small studies
lasting only a few weeks showed modest reductions in blood glucose levels in
people taking vanadium, but further research is needed to demonstrate its long
term safety and effectiveness.
VITAMIN E is an antioxidant vitamin
that can only be obtained in small amounts in the diet. Population studies have
shown a reduction in heart attacks in those taking Vitamin E supplements. Large-scale,
placebo-controlled trials are now underway, but none has yet proven that vitamin
E supplements reduce CHD or prevent heart attacks.
NOTE: Excerpted with permission from
"The Johns Hopkins White Paper on Diabetes," (C) Medletter Associates
1998. Single copies are $19.95 plus shipping and handling, and may be ordered
by calling 1-800-829-9170.