Type - 2 Diabetes - How Effective Is Ayurveda In It?

Diabetes mellitus (DM), commonly known as diabetes, is a collection of metabolic diseases, characterized by high glucose levels over a drawn-out period. Side effects of high sugar include regular urination, excessive thirst and increased hunger. If left untreated, diabetes can cause a number of serious health complications.

Ayurveda can be used efficiently in treating this condition. Diabetes is known to the common man as “Prameha”, which is said to be divided into 3 major types – Kapha, Pitta and Vata. Lack of exercise and excessive intake of food of “ushna” and “guru” types are said to be the chief causes of "prameha".

Instead of controlling or managing diabetes, the ayurveda specialists work on reversing it completely. The first step in this Ayurvedic treatment for diabetes is checking what are your serum insulin levels whether it is fasting or after meals. If the body is unable to produce enough insulin, it is confirmed that the person is suffering from diabetes and the latest recommendations are of HbA1c levels which should be below 6.3. If the person’s HbA1c level is anywhere above 6.3, the person is confirmed diabetic.

Ayurvedic experts treat people with some ayurvedic herbs which help in normalising HbA1c levels and increasing serum insulin levels. When serum insulin is secreted in sufficient levels, we stop the treatment and whenever we stop the ayurvedic treatment, the serum insulin levels do not fall. Which means this is a permanent change that we bring in the body. This clearly confirms that diabetes in the particular patient has been reversed.

Along with drugs and medications, Ayurveda stresses on the importance of a balanced diet and exercise.

The management modules that can be categorized are:

•     Vyaayam (Exercise)
•     Pathya (Regulation in diet)
•     Panchakarma (Procedures for Bio-purification)
•     The use of herbs

Management of diabetes can be done using a variety of herbs. Some of them are:

•     Vijaysar
•     Ficus benghalensis (Nyagrodha twaka churna – banyan tree bark)
•     Eugenia jambolana (Jamun beej churna)
•     Shilajeet (Rock Salt)
•     Kirat tikata (Chirayata)
•     Embelica officinalis (Amla)
•     Karella (Bitter Gourd)

In case certain patients are incapable of responding to insulin or hypoglycaemia medicine, an ayurvedic physician may prescribe some ayurvedic drugs such as:

•     Dhatri Nisha
•     Madhuvijay Capsules
•     Chandraprabha vati
•     Madhuvijay Capsule
•     Vasant kusumakar rasa
•     Diabetes Lifestyle
• • Avoid sleeping during daytime
  • Avoid smoking
  • Take adequate eye care
  • Do exercise regularly
  • Take extra care of your foot

Hence, Ayurveda is the best mode for reversing type-2 diabetes as unlike the other modes of treatments only focus on managing the diabetes.