Positive Health Online

Abstract

DEY and colleagues, Tang Center for Herbal Medicine Research and Department of Anesthesia Critical Care, The Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA, reviewed (108 references) literature on the use of medicinal herbs and other complementary/ alternative therapies in the management of type 2 diabetes .

Background

Type 2 diabetes affects the health, quality of life and life expectancy of sufferers, as well as placing a significant burden on healthcare resources. Modification of lifestyle factors – exercise, diet and weight control – is important in helping to control and stabilize blood glucose levels. For many patients, this is insufficient and they therefore also need to take drug therapies such as glucose-lowering agents and insulin injections . Drug treatments come with their own problems – they may elicit unwanted side effects, they may also be insufficient to fully stabilize glucose levels, and frequently they may be ineffective in preventing late-stage complications of diabetes. Increasingly, patients with diabetes and healthcare professionals are exploring the potentials of medicinal herbs that have glucose-lowering effects .

Methodology

Results

Conclusion

References

Dey L et al. Alternative therapies for type 2 diabetes. Alternative Medicine Review 7 (1): 45-58. Feb 2002.