Traditional Chinese
medical science has
records of diabetes for
more than 2,000 years.
From ancient times, it
has known that one’s
physical condition (e.g.
obesity, hereditary
factors), diet,
sentiments, daily life
and exercise have an
influence on diabetes.
In fact, a number of
then-prescribed
medicines are still in
use today. Due to
the fact that Chinese
medicine comprises
natural ingredients, it
has little side-effects.
Furthermore, holistic
Chinese medicine
emphasises on
identifying and curing
ailments, regulating
internal organs’
functions, and not just
limited to lowering
sugar levels. The
more one utilises
Chinese medicine, the
better the curative
effect as it can
effectively improve
one’s quality of life
and enhances longevity.
However, one should also
pay attention to the
problems highlighted
below:
Chinese Medicine and
Western Medicine Combine
Strengths
Chinese medicine and
western medicine combine
strengths and make up
for deficiency by
learning from others.
Persons who are slightly
diabetic (e.g.: blood
sugar levels with empty
stomach at <8.8mmol/L,
or blood sugar levels at
two hours after meals
<13mmol/L) can have a
controlled diet with
added Chinese medicine
as treatment.
Chinese physicians’
identification of
ailments for treatment
is divided into two
categories: heatiness of
lungs and stomach and
dual vacuity of qi and
yin; at the same time,
stasis of blood is
present throughout the
ailment. Thus, the
treatment to improve
blood circulation and
remove extravasted blood
is equally important.
Also worth taking note
is that consuming
Chinese medicine doesn’t
mean that one has to
stop taking western
medicine. Stopping
the consumption of
medicine at one’s will
or exaggerating the
effects of Chinese
medicine on lowering
sugar levels is also
unscientific. Give
an hour allowance in
between consume of both
types of medicines.
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Chinese Medicine Which
Can Lower Sugar Levels
There are many reports
about how Chinese
medicine can lower sugar
levels. In
Southeast Asia, there
are several folk
remedies and
prescriptions but they
are generally
unreliable.
Chinese medicine’s
progress in lowering
sugar levels is slow,
but when some Chinese
medicine with such
qualities is used
concurrently with
western medicine, it
produces a synergistic
effect. However,
do not combine usage of
Chinese medicines with
similar sugar-lowering
effects, but to follow
instructions from
Chinese physicians about
what types of medication
are suitable under
traditional Chinese
medicine practice and
modern medicine.
Commonly used Chinese
medicines that have
sugar-lowering qualities
include: Sangbaipi,
rhizoma atractylodis,
Solomon’s seal,
schisandra chinensis,
kudzu vine root,
goldthread, Tianhuafen,
Digupi, rhizome
rehmannia, and ginseng.
Medicine made of two or
more ingredients include
kidney qi tablets,
ginseng soup with baihu,
senling-baishu powder,
liuwei-dihuang pills,
Xiaokefang, Yunu Jian,
and Yuquan powder.
Chinese medicine can
increase sensitivity of
insulin, and reduce
insulin resistance.
This is also the crux of
the curative effect of
Chinese medicines.
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Complicating Disease and
Treatment
The occurrence of
chronic diabetes is
related to aldose
reductase and
nonenzymatic
glucosylation.
When treating chronic
diabetes, Chinese
medicine’s qualities
include slowing down
ageing, clearing heat
and detoxification,
improving blood
circulation and removing
extravasted blood,
disperse and rectify the
depressed liver-energy,
treatment of diabetic
retinopathy and kidney
disease of diabetes,
neurotic excoriations of
diabetics and numbness.
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Controlling Diet
Controlling diet is an
essential part of
diabetic treatment.
Dietotherapy is only a
type of supplementary
treatment that should
not be depended upon.
It is recommended to
frequently consume
coarse grains such as
corn, millet, soybeans,
buckwheat, and oats.
If a patient feels
hungry, find out the
reason and urge him to
consume foods that are
low in energy,
carbohydrates, such as
vegetables, bean
sprouts, winter melon,
etc.
Many people practice the
incorrect method of
eating less but many
meals a day. This
will create additional
burden on insulin.
When diabetes is not
fully controlled and
blood sugar levels are
high, do not consume
fruits. Only when
the condition is
controlled can the
patient consume fruits
that are low in sugar.
However, honey dates,
bananas, mangoes,
raisins, durians,
jackfruit and sugar cane
should be avoided as
they contain high sugar
levels.
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Medicinal Herbs Tea
The medicinal herbs
mentioned here can be
referred to, made as a
tea drink, or used for
dietotherapy treatment
by diabetic patients:
folium mori, rhizome
rehmannia, poria cocos,
seed of Job’s tears,
bittergourd, platycodon
grandiflorum, kelp,
astragalus, Chinese yam,
radix polygonati
officinalis, white
fungus, Juda's-ear,
peach gum, granatum,
green tea, barley,
lychee core, and corn
silk.
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Article contributed by:
Mr Lu Jihong, TCM
Physician
Ma Kuang Healthcare
Group
Dated: September 2013
Please click
here
for Chinese version of this article.
|
Ma Kuang
Healthcare
Group is
one of the
leading
healthcare
groups in
holistic
Traditional
Chinese
Medicine (TCM)
products and
services in
Singapore.
Founded in
1999, Ma Kuang has
expanded
rapidly from
its first
TCM clinic
in Middle
Road to
today’s
largest
chain of TCM
clinics in
Singapore. |
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