A Common Sense Approach to Strengthening the Pancreas

The Medical Sciences are trying so hard to understand diabetes. The simple fact is diabetes is unknown in countries where people can’t afford to overeat. Solutions to the human health may best be investigated in our kitchen and not in labs with rats as this does seem to be with whom the scientific mind prefers to work.

Diabetes is a body situation where the body cells do not use glucose, blood sugar properly and the blood sugar level rises beyond a normal tolerance causing coma and long range chronic deterioration.

Diabetic symptoms are simple and everyday. Classic symptoms are excessive thirst and urination, excessive hunger but weight loss despite increased food consumption. General weakness, skin disorders, including boils and vaginal infections, blurred vision, tingling, leg cramps, impotence and dry mouth are frequent complaints. Diabetic ketoacidosis is a condition where the excess sugar in the urine also dehydrates the body causing acids to build up in the body. Ketoacidosis can be life threatening if allowed to progress to a coma state. Other chronic complications are coronary heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and blindness.

Science has two classifications for diabetes, Type I and II. In Type I the pancreas does not produce insulin, a hormone which delivers the glucose to the cell. Without insulin the cell cannot use or burn the blood sugar as energy.

In Type II the pancreas is producing insulin, but the cells have too few chemical receptors and the cells starve, resulting in lack of energy. The major cause of Type II is now thought to be OBESITY. The herbal formula, Pro-Pancreas, is extremely helpful for the pancreas and blood sugar regulation.

When a cell becomes fat and increases in size, the chemical receptors are decreased on the surface and the use of the insulin and glucose decreases and the diabetes symptoms doctors know diabetes is a prosperity disease since four of five diabetics are overweight. In view of our fast world today, diabetes is a result of fast foods, which are all fried, deep-fried or heavily sugarcoated. Simply, a diet high in saturated fat can lead to obesity and diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association says although six million Americans have been diagnosed as diabetic, probably another five million have diabetes, Type I and II. Of the six million on the books, one million are thought to be lacking insulin, Type I, and the other five million, Type II.

Our medical sciences have been pumping animal insulin into all diabetics for some time. In 1980, the ADA said about 40% of known diabetics were misdiagnosed. With the new ‘fat’ understanding of Type II, we can see that in five of the six diabetics or as high as ten of eleven, the lack of insulin is not the problem. The side effects of insulin are serious and the possible iatrogenic disease fatalities here are staggering.

A National Health Magazine, written by M.D’s, recently reported on several diabetics who decreased their insulin requirements with diet and exercise. Now, even the M.D.’s have the door open. So, let’s step into a program, which helps the body renew itself and regenerate the organs.

There are four major considerations for the person with diabetic tendencies or symptoms:

1. Body input, negative and positive

2. Candida Albicans

3. Exercise

4. Mental (emotions), negative and positive

BODY INPUT

The body input is the hard law; WE BECOME WHAT WE EAT. If we eat cardboard, then this is what our body has to grow new cells with, when it needed calcium, protein, etc.

The diet then, needs to involve a variety of Nature’s best vegetables, nuts, whole grains and tree ripened fruits, which will be low calorie and life giving. We include fruits because they provide fructose to our system, which does not need insulin for its metabolism and can be tolerated by diabetics. Reference: “How to Get Well” by Paavo Airola, page 70.

The diet will be the most nourishing if mostly raw; however, vegetables lightly steamed are acceptable and necessary in some cases. Raw foods stimulate the pancreas to produce insulin and digestive enzymes. Raw bulk or fiber is very important because this is where the acidophilus grows in the intestinal tract. Certain foods seem especially important to diabetics: Jerusalem artichokes, green beans, grapefruit, bananas, buckwheat, millet, oats, cucumbers, string beans and garlic. Other herbs, which feed and cleanse the pancreas are: Juniper Berries, Uva Ursi and Capsicum. Reference: “Today’s Herbs” by Louise Tenney, page 225.

The herbal formula, Pro-Pancreas, is extremely helpful for the pancreas and blood sugar.

The great American diet today is improving as even the Golden Arches now has a salad bar. However, 95% or more is fat fried with huge amounts of salt to promote a thirst for more junk sodas. When will we wake up to the maintenance of our body? You take a big risk running a car with an oil leak by just putting more oil in. Let’s repair the leak and keep all that oil in our cars and off our foods.

A bad diet or parasites is the most probable cause of the pancreas wearing out. If there are heredity problems then, with a poor physical start and bad inherited eating habits, you will wear yourself out even more quickly. Stress and/or fungus may contribute to more problems. Diabetics must not overeat; four or five small meals a day will be the most beneficial. Avoid all refined carbohydrates, especially sugar, white flour and salt. A good protein source is critical. Yogurt, kefir and cottage cheese are good especially, if homemade. (Fish and fowl raised without chemicals, in small amounts if baked and not fried in oil.) We love avocados, too.

Constipation of the bowel, kidneys, skin or lungs is a real danger. A fresh diet will tend to keep you moving, but if your colon is lazy, use herbs like Cascara Sagrada to wake it up. Diabetics, as with all healthy people, need to flush the system with enough fluids. Six, 6 ounce glasses of liquids should be a minimum, in hot climates more. The single best drink is chlorophyll. Fruit and vegetable juices are great, especially as 4th, 5th or 6th meals. Good water is refreshing but without ice and add a slice of lemon. Refrain from black tea or coffee. Herb teas are a wonderful variety.

Skin brushing is invigorating and increases the circulation wonderfully, even for those who cannot exercise or leave a bed or a wheelchair. Deep breathing is a health secret from the orient. We can see we need to simply use all the systems we have and help them become more effective. There are many more helpful natural things and herbs for these four eliminating areas.

VITAMINS AND MINERALS

Here are several diet supplements, which have historically helped diabetics:

Vitamin A & D: Needed for body repair; Minimum daily requirement.

Vitamin B Complex: Get a natural brand; At least 25 mcg B12 & 50+ mg B6.

Vitamin C: Helps renew glands; Minimum 1000 mg/day.

Vitamin E: Increases gland production; Minimum 800 IU/day.

Niacin: Promotes Circulation; Work up to 100 mg.

Lecithin: Emulsifies fat; 1 per day

Kelp: Provides minerals for cell; 6 capsules per day

Garlic: Provides enzymes and cleansing; 6 capsules per day

Chromium: Mineral required for blood sugar balance; Minimum daily requirement.

Potassium: Increases gland production; Minimum daily requirement.

Zinc: Aids glands; Minimum daily requirement.

Trace Minerals: Essential building blocks; Minimum daily requirement.

HERBS

Herbs are foods that have long histories of helping a body function or a gland. The following foods have strong uses for the pancreas and balancing blood sugar as with diabetes. They apply to either Type I or Type II because herbs as foods, not chemicals, have the creators’ wisdom to help the whole body and work where it needs help.

The herbal formula, Pro-Pancreas, contains nine (9) of the following herbs plus others. It’s a great way to get a good balance of herbs that address this problem without having to buy many products.

GOLDEN SEAL is a powerful herb. Some herb authors say it is a form of insulin, but this is not logical, as insulin is a hormone and human hormones are manufactured only in human glands. Golden Seal supplies the nutrients to both your pancreas in Type I to make insulin and just possibly other glands as well. Golden Seal is known as an infection fighter, not because it poisons good or bad bacteria, but because it builds the body’s natural immunity and the body then fights of f the attack as it was created. Using Golden Seal is similar to teaching a person how to fish, not just giving them a fish. It seems the scientific doctors think a lot like the government in that they give hormones (a fish) instead of trying to get the body to perform as created.

JUNIPER BERRIES are known to have specific foods for the pancreas and thus increase its production of hormones. They are especially helpful to Type I.

UVA URSI LEAVES are especially beneficial for bladder-kidney problems. The use with diabetes has been to lower high blood sugar and is helpful to Type I and Type II.

HUCKLEBERRY LEAVES/BERRIES are helpful with high blood sugar in Type I and Type II.

MULLEIN LEAVES are best known as a painkiller. Their historical use here is with mucus removal and thus it is helpful with Type II.

COMFREY LEAVES OR ROOT is high in protein, rich in vitamins A & C and minerals such as calcium. Their uses here are as builders and mucus movers, which will benefit Type I and Type II.

YARROW FLOWER is known as a healer of the glandular system. It’s a blood cleanser and diaphoretic (sweat producer). It would offer help to the pancreas, Type I and Type II.

GARLIC BULB is known as a rejuvenator for body functions. It has lecithin and thus dissolves cholesterol in the body. It will be very helpful to Type II.

CAPSICUM FRUIT is best at reducing shock in the body and restoring normal functions, be it in the pancreas or at the cell level. It is also a wonderful catalyst for other herbs. As a stimulant, it would help Type I and Type II.

DANDELION LEAVES AND ROOT increase the pancreas production in Type I and provide valuable nutrients for the liver and kidneys for Type II.

ALFALFA LEAF AND STEM are very nutritive to the pancreas for Type I.

BUCHU LEAVES have been used f or problems in the genitourinary tract. Buchu has a historical use with the first stages of diabetes in both Type I and Type II.

BUGLEWEED HERB has a use f or pain and contracts mucus membrane tissue and thus is helpful to Type II.

DEVIL’S CLAW ROOT is known as a deep cleanser for both muscle and tissue. This is helpful to the pancreas and Type II.

FALSE UNICORN ROOT is known as a strong tonic f or the whole body and mucus membranes. It is helpful in Type II.

HO SHO WU ROOT is helpful to tone the liver, kidneys, nervous system and pancreas and Type I.

KELP HERB will be helpful to Type I and Type II because it supplies so many vitamins and minerals. It also contains some lecithin.

MARSHMALLOW ROOT is a great healer and its historical diabetes use is indubitable with Type II.

PERIWINKLE HERB has a strong historical use with diabetes in Britain. We have not been able to determine Type I or Type II yet.

QUEEN OF THE MEADOW LEAVES has been used for kidneys and gallstones, so we see a use here on cholesterol and Type II.

RED RASPBERRY LEAVES is a wonder food for the female body and high in vitamins A, B, C, D, E, F and G. Minerals include calcium, phosphorus and manganese. It will be nutritive to Type I and Type II.

SAW PALMETTO FRUIT is useful for all wasting body conditions. It has a good effect on the mucus membranes and it will be helpful to Type II.

TAHEEBO or PAU D’ARCO tree inner bark is one of the great blood cleansers and antibiotic acting herbs available. It is used extensively to combat Candida Albicans, which is discussed later. Taheebo has an antifungal affect on the pancreas and the cells. It should be included in every diabetic diet in either Type I or Type II.

WINTERGREEN LEAVES or OIL have the ability to penetrate every cell and thus help Type II. We suggest they be used in small doses.

CHICKWEED HERB has a use of dissolving the plaque from the arteries and fatty substances in the body. Its use in Type II is very important.

CASCARA SAGRADA BARK is remembered mainly because of its help with the colon. But it is well known to increase the secretions of the stomach, liver and pancreas. It is a must for [either Type I or Type II and an important part of a preventative diabetic diet.

Artemisia Combination, Black Walnut, Garlic, Pumpkin Seed are herbs used to get rid of parasites in the pancreas which is the primary cause of Type I.

The herbal formulas, Pro-Pancreas and Target P-14 contains nine (9) of the above herbs plus others. It’s a great way to get a good balance of herbs that address this problem without having to buy many products.

CANDIDA ALBICANS

Candida Albicans, a fungus that likes humans, can be an important contribution and cause of diabetes. This fungus is natural to all humans and lives in the digestive tract unless nature’s balance is disrupted by antibiotics, chemicals, stress, coffee or a junk food diet. With any or all of these bad elements, the natural immunity is dropped, the good lactobacillus die, and Candida grows. This would affect a diabetic’s pre-deposition thus:

A. The digestion becomes less and less effective and the body can become obese causing diabetes Type II.

B. The Candida will invade the body cells causing lesser diseases such as a yeast infection and allergies. Once Candida invades the pancreas, the production of hormones, ie. Insulin will decrease and we have Type I. Eventually Candida penetrates all body cells causing an inflammation of water retention like Type II, as well as a pancreas dysfunction.

There is natural help for Candida. The inner bark from a tall jungle tree called Pau D’Arco has a strong historical use for Candida. The old herb books tell us there can be parasites in the pancreas, and now we have learned one of their names, Candida. For more information on Candida, write for the article, “A New Awareness of an Old Fungi”, by this author.

EXERCISE

Since exercise is so important to the natural flow in the human body, it only makes sense to use a machine as it was created to be used. Exercise offers two exciting diabetes helps. First, exercise squeezes all or most cells and sets up a better cell environment for the blood sugar to be used. Secondly, exercise creates of itself a demand for blood sugar burn off. Numerous reports show regular exercise normalizes a high blood sugar position. More reports will be coming.

STRESS

Stress is America’s biggest killer. Stress causes cancer, heart attacks and even diabetes. Stress keeps us from taking proper care of ourselves and puts a “double whammy” on us by throwing our body’s system and glands into disarray. It is like sitting in one of Indiana Jones tombs surrounded by snakes. Under this stress our body will not function normally or repair itself Our everyday stress also prevents our body I s normal f unction or repair. Unfortunately, most of us don’t see the snakes or are unaware of the stress damage. If you are having trouble with stress, we suggest you read a book by Dr. Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., “Love is Letting Go of Fear” and “Think and Be Healthy” by James D. Jenks, H.M.D.

In summation, diabetes is not just a lack of insulin. Its most probable cause is plain poor maintenance of your body. It I s cure will need to include all of these things discussed. By doing all, diet, herbs, exercise and stress management, we will take the pressure off a single problem area such as a weak pancreas.

In researching diabetes, it is clear the herbalist has been effectively helping the body balance itself with herbal foods for thousands of years. Now, through modern science, we can see that 73% of the historical herbs used help Type II, as well as Type I. Here is another confirmation that nature knows best. It is a guarantee from our creator that the best things in life are generally in our backyard and not necessarily at the corner drug store with an expensive label.

FOUR HERBS FOR DIABETES

More than sixteen million people are afflicted with diabetes in the U.S., where it is the fifth leading cause of death, according to the American Diabetes Association. Most diabetics can keep the disease in check through proper diet and regular exercise. Research has shown that some substances found in plants can contribute to this care.

Four herbs have been shown to be safe and effective anti-diabetics, consistently lowering blood glucose levels and improving the body’s ability to use insulin in specific tests.

Gurmar (Gymnema sylvestre) has long been used in the Ayurvedic medicine of lndia as a treatment for diabetes. Gurmar has been shown to enhance the ability of the pancreas to produce insulin in laboratory animals and to rejuvenate dysfunctional pancreatic cells.

In a 1990 study, twenty-two Type II diabetics in India who were taking unspecified oral antidiabetic medications were also given 400 mg of a standardized gurmar extract daily. After eighteen to twenty months, all were able to reduce their dosage of antidiabetic medication, and five participants were able to discontinue using it entirely. The researchers judged the gurmar extract to be superior to the medication for longterm blood sugar stabilization. In another study, 400 mg of the extract given to twenty-seven Type I diabetics lowered their insulin requirements by an average of nearly 50%, on the basis of their reduced fasting glucose levels.

In a 1995 Finnish study, thirty-six Type II diabetics who were receiving no other medication took 200 mg of Asian Ginseng (Panax ginseng) daily. At the end of eight weeks, the fasting blood glucose measurements of the participants had decreased, and they reported that they felt better and were able to exercise more.

A 1989 review of the research on the antidiabetic effects of onions and garlic revealed that people who take a daily dose of 10 g of onion or garlic extract per kg of body weights showed lower fasting blood glucose levels and improved glucose tolerance tests. The recommended dose of garlic for a healthy person is 4 g, or one medium sized clove, daily; eating more than five cloves a day may slow blood clotting.

In a double-blind study conducted by the Indian National Institute of Nutrition in 1990, ten Type I diabetics were given either 100 g of ground Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecutn) seeds to take each day with meals or no fenugreek. After ten days, fasting glucose levels of those who took the fenugreek had decreased by 30%, and their glucose tolerance improved. In double-blind studies of Type II diabetics, 15 to 25 g of fenugreek powder was similarly effective.

A formula called SugarRegis formulated on these herbal concepts.

The wealth of anecdotal evidence supporting the efficacy of many plants traditionally used for diabetes has prompted their investigation. Studies by the U.S. Department of Agriculture have shown that extracts of cinnamon, cloves, turmeric, and bay leaf help insulin perform more effectively; investigation of cinnamon, the most promising of the four, is continuing.

Reference: Bailey, C. J., and Day, C., “Traditional Plant Medicines as Treatments for diabetes”. Diabetes Care 1989, 12:553-64.