TCM herbal remedies for prediabetes and diabetes type 2

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has treated maladies and health issues for thousands of years with herbs and acupuncture. Yet, to appease the western world's view of "evidence-based medicine," various trials and studies are performed, often comparing TCM to modern pharmaceuticals, in order to prove efficacy and safety.

There have been some recent studies comparing pharmaceuticals to TCM herbal remedies for prediabetes and diabetes type 2. It's well known that all pharmaceuticals have side effects and most herbal remedies do not. But instead of accepting 2,000-plus years of experience with TCM herbs, randomized, double-blind tests must be done to convince modern medical institutions.

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA): "Before people develop type 2 diabetes, they almost always have 'prediabetes' - blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes." The ADA also goes on to say that prediabetes doesn't necessarily need to lead to diabetes type 2.

The CDC says that 79 million Americans over the age of 20 may be prediabetic. There are various ways of avoiding diabetes type 2 even if one is prediabetic. Altering one's diet from processed foods to mostly whole plant foods (non-GMO) and exercise are two approaches. Minimizing sugar without using artificial sweeteners and reducing stress are two other helpful changes.

Western medicine offers pharmaceuticals to be taken with or before meals. Three that are most commonly prescribed are glibenclamide, acarbose and metformin. Those are the drug names which appear under a few different brand names.

Side effects include severe gastrointestinal irritation, inhibited vitamin B12 absorption leading to anemia, low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), liver damage and increased homocysteine levels that can lead to cardiovascular disease, among others. Not to worry. There are pharmaceuticals for all those side effects too.