Natural Support To Prevent And Reverse This Condition
Diabetes Mellitus is a condition of abnormally high fasting blood sugar (above 126mg/dl) measured on two separate occasions.
Type I diabetes is caused by a destruction of pancreatic cells that produce insulin. It is a more serious condition, and more difficult to control, than type II.
Type II diabetes is related to Western diet and lifestyle and can almost always be controlled by diet and lifestyle changes alone.
A less recognized form of diabetes is Type 1.5 which may combine features of both Type I and Type II with some loss of endogenous insulin production as well as reduced sensitivity to available insulin. This type also responds very well to dietary and lifestyle changes and supplementation.
Uncontrolled diabetes (blood sugars that continue to go above the normal 120mg/dl) result in a four-fold increased risk of atherosclerotic heart disease and a five-fold increased risk of stroke. Diabetes also increases the risk of nerve damage leading to eye disease, peripheral neuropathy (nerve disorder), increased risk of infection, and compromised circulation sometimes resulting in gangrene. Persistent high blood sugar levels can stress and damage kidney (renal) function.
Diet And Lifestyle Recommendations
- Diet: work with an alternative medicine physician to discover optimal diet. High carbohydrate, low calorie diets are often prescribed for diabetics, but low carbohydrate diets have been shown to work much better for most type II diabetics. A special version of the ketogenic diet — what Dr. Myatt calls “The Ketone Zone” — works fast and reliably to reverse DM. Individual guidance in diet will almost always correct Type II DM and help control Type 1.5 DM.
- Maintain a normal weight. Overweight makes the body resistant to its own insulin. A low carbohydrate diet will reduce weight quickly and even modest weight loss helps significantly with blood sugar control.
- Exercise regularly. Exercise improves the body’s response to insulin, decreases blood sugar levels, normalizes weight and improves circulation.
- Drink 64 ounces of pure water daily. Adequate water intake has a wide number of health benefits and specific to diabetes these include improved blood sugar regulation and improved liver and kidney function.
Primary Support
- Maxi Multi: 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Optimal (not minimal) doses of antioxidants (ACES), B complex vitamins, magnesium, chromium, vanadium and bioflavonoids are particularly important in correcting diabetes and preventing the damage that diabetes causes. Chromium picolinate is known to help improve insulin sensitivity.
- Omega 3 fatty acids – any or all of these:
Flax seed meal, 2 teaspoons per day with food
Flax seed oil capsules: 2-4 caps, 3 times per day
Flax seed oil: 1 tablespoon per day
MaxiMarine O3 (Omega-3 rich fish oil): 1 cap, 2 times per day with meals. Omega 3 deficiency contributes to insulin resistance and supplementation can reverse it.
Diabetes increases cardiovascular risk factors in part through the inflammatory action of abnormally high blood sugars. O3 fatty acids have a potent anti-inflammatory effect. The Essential Fatty Acids are SO important that the U.S. Government officially recommended in 2003 that Americans get more Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids in their diet. - Maxi Greens (Advanced Phytonutrient Formula): 3 caps, 3 times per day with meals. Bilberry, grape seed extract and ginkgo are particularly important since these potent antioxidants serve to strengthen blood vessels and protect the circulatory system.
- CoQ10 (50-100mg): 1 cap, 2-3 times per day with meals (target dose range: 150-400mg per day). CoQ10 is essential to mitochondrial function which can be comprimized in diabetes and should be considered a mandatory supplement for anyone taking statins fo cholesterol or by anyone with any cardiac risk factors.
- Increased Fiber Intake: A minimum of 20 grams of fiber daily will stabilize blood sugars and provide a host of other health benefits. Dietary fiber can be difficult to obtain in adequate amounts and most Americans get woefully little in their diet. Dr. Myatt has developed a “bread” substitute that is very low carb and very high fiber.
- Fiber Formula: 6-12 caps per day can be useful in maintaining a good fiber intake, especially when travelling and unable to make the “Myatt Bread” mentioned above.
- Berberine (200mg): I cap, 3 times per day with meals. Berberine has been found to be as effective for blood sugar control as the prescription drug metformin. Do not take both metformin and berberine – take one or the other. Do NOT stop taking metformin if it has been prescribed to you without discussing it with your doctor or other health care provider.
Additional Support
Urinary Tract Health:
- D-mannose works by preventing bacteria from sticking to the lining of the urinary tract and not by direct antibiotic action soit does not have any of the potential for negative side-effects that antibiotics do. One teaspoon in 6 ounces of water drunk twice daily can help to prevent the urinary tract infections common in diabetics, and double that (i.e.: 4 times daily) can help to resolve urinary tract infections.
With High Cholesterol:
- Red Yeast Rice: 2 caps, 2 times per day with meals. (Target Dose 2000 mg per day) Unlike isolated “statin” drugs, Red Rice Yeast contains a mixture of related but different statins that act synergistically. As a result, lower (and safer) doses of any one statin are taken. Red Rice Yeast has been shown to lower total cholesterol and triglycerides while raising HDL levels.
OR - Berberine (200mg): I cap, 3 times per day with meals. Berberine is a potent lipid-lowering compound and also has a moderate weight loss effect.
With Neuopathy (nerve pain):
- Acetyl-L-Carnitine: 500-1,000 mg, 2-3 times per day with meals. (Target dose range: 1,000- 2,000mg per day).Acetyl-L-Carnitine helps to restore insulin sensitivity.
- Alpha lipoic acid: 300-1200 mg daily. Improves insulin sensitivity and reduces symptoms of neuropathy.
Since these two supplements create a powerful synergy when used together Dr. Myatt offers a high-potency supplement which combines both nutrients in a single formula. One bottle of ALA-ALC is equivalent to two bottles each of our separate ALA and ALC formulas. For those who need to take both nutrients in higher potencies, this represents asignificant savings and convenience.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid / Acetyl L-Carnitine (ALA / ALC) One or two caps daily to improve insulin sensitivity and relieve symptoms of diabetic neuropathy. This combination also improves mitochondrial function (the “energy producing units” of the cell) is also involved in the conversion of carbohydrates to energy.
Dr. Myatt’s Comment
Diabetes leads to serious health complications. All of the problems associated with aging—-impaired circulation, decreases of hearing and eyesight, and heart disease are accelerated in uncontrolled diabetes. Fortunately, Type II diabetes is almost always controllable through diet, lifestyle, and corrective nutrients and herbs. Insulin is sometimes but rarely necessary (in instances of Type 1.5 diabetes) and may be preferable to other glucose-lowering drugs. It is important to keep blood sugar levels within a normal range, thus avoiding the multiple health risks and premature aging that diabetes causes.
I find that well over 90% of Type II diabetic patients can achieve normal-range glucose control by following a ketogenic diet and the above-listed primary support measures. If blood sugars are not dramatically improved (usually completely corrected!) after three months on this program, consult with an alternative medicine physician who can help you find the best diet and supplement program. I am available for consultation by telephone and I have an excellent success rate with type II diabetic patients.
References:
Kalman D. Chromium picolinate and type 2 diabetes. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2003; 78(1): 92.
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/78/1/192.1.full.pdf
Artemis P. Simopoulos, Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Deficiency and High Fructose intake in the Development of Metabolic Syndrome Brain, Metabolic Abnormalities, and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Nutrients. 2013 Aug; 5(8): 2901–2923.
Published online 2013 Jul 26. doi: 10.3390/nu5082901
PMCID: PMC3775234
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3775234/
Power RA, Hulver MW, Zhang JY, Dubois J, Marchand RM, Ilkayeva O, Muoio DM, Mynatt RL.Carnitine revisited: potential use as adjunctive treatment in diabetes. Diabetologia. 2007 Apr;50(4):824-32. Epub 2007 Feb 20.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00125-007-0605-4
Ziegler D, Ametov A, Barinov A, Dyck PJ, Gurieva I, Low PA, Munzel U, Yakhno N, Raz I, Novosadova M, Maus J, Samigullin R. Oral treatment with alpha-lipoic acid improves symptomatic diabetic polyneuropathy. Diabetes Care 2006; 29(11): 2365-70.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17065669
