Metformin’s herbal precursor, Galega officinalis, was used in Europe hundreds of years ago for various health conditions. But it wasn’t until the early twentieth century that a scientist discovered the blood sugar–lowering effect of one of its components.

Uses for Metformin

• Main Use

  Not a treatment for Type 1 diabetes, metformin is the most prescribed Type 2 diabetes drug for those whose blood sugar is not being controlled by exercise and diet.

• Off-Label Uses

  Physicians prescribe metformin for conditions that are not part of its FDA approval, including gestational diabetes, prediabetes, PCOS, and weight gain from antipsychotic drugs.

• Potential Uses

  Ongoing investigations are studying metformin to determine whether it may lower the risk of cancer, dementia, and stroke in Type 2 diabetes patients. Other studies are looking at ways metformin may slow the aging process, prevent diseases of aging, and increase life expectancy.

  A study of more than 1,000 overweight individuals with COVID 19 showed “dramatic benefits when they were treated with metformin,” according to Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, a board-certified internist and recognized expert in chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.

  In addition to decreasing risk of hospitalization and death, the benefits included decreased risk of developing long COVID.

  Dr. Teitelbaum also notes metformin’s contributions to increased energy and quality of life in chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia.

Cautions

Diarrhea is the most reported side effect of metformin, according to a study cited by DrugWatch.com, followed by nausea and vomiting, flatulence, and indigestion.

Although it is generally recognized as having a good safety profile, metformin does carry an FDA “black box” warning for lactic acidosis, a serious side effect that can lead to death.

It is important that anyone taking this drug be closely monitored by their physician.

Metformin should not be taken by anyone with impaired kidney function or diabetic ketoacidosis.

This year, more people than ever will hear their doctor say: “You have Type 2 diabetes.”

Prevalence of Diabetes

More than 30.3 million individuals currently live with a diabetes diagnosis—with about 95 percent of them having Type 2, says Lucille Hughes, director of diabetes education at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, NY.

Diabetes on The Rise

“Type 2 diabetes actually used to be extremely rare,” shares Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, author of the book Diabetes Is Optional (To Your Health Books, 2018).

The numbers started to skyrocket as a result of modern eating habits—culminating in the alarming fact that one-third of people will now develop Type 2 diabetes and its precursor, metabolic syndrome (which is the combination of high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and hypertension), in their lifetime, he adds.

But it doesn’t have to be this way.

Managing Diabetes Naturally

Diet and Lifestyle

Dietary changes and lifestyle adjustments can go far in managing and even reversing Type 2 diabetes.

“Proper meal planning along with physical activity has been proven to improve health and glucose control,” notes Hughes.

Even better? The combination of meals planned with diabetes in mind and incorporation of exercise leads to weight loss, which itself almost always allows for a decrease in reliance on diabetes medications.

That, of course, comes as “a welcome benefit, both financially and emotionally, for any person living with diabetes,” says Hughes.

Diabetes-Friendly Eating

Ready for some of the nitty-gritty details of a diabetes-friendly meal plan? Hughes offers three key tips to follow:

• Monitor Carbohydrates

  Carbohydrates boost blood glucose levels (which is not a good thing), so keep this number low.

• No Late-Night Snacking

  Limiting eating after dinner helps many people manage both their diabetes and their medication regime.

• Eat Frequently

  Don’t skip meals or go more than four hours without eating. Regular eating of small amounts helps maintain good glucose control.

Supplement Support

• Vitamin D for Glucose Tolerance

  Vitamin D should be on your radar.

  There’s a solid body of research showing vitamin D improves glucose tolerance. This is because the body makes more insulin and responds better to circulating insulin when there’s enough vitamin D.

  After two months of daily supplementation with 4,500 IU of vitamin D by people with Type 2 diabetes, researchers documented a significant drop in fasting blood glucose.

• Chromium to Regulate Blood Sugar

  The mineral chromium helps your body regulate blood sugar levels. It is part of glucose tolerance factor (GTF), which plays a role in helping insulin bring blood sugar into each body cell.

  People without diabetes generally show higher blood levels of chromium than those with this disease.

  Those who supplement with chromium (for example, by taking a multivitamin/mineral that includes chromium) are less likely to have diabetes.

  Even more heartening? Those who already have diabetes but who start taking 600 micrograms of chromium picolinate daily improve their blood sugar control.

• Hintonia latiflora

  Dr. Teitelbaum’s favorite herbal treatment for diabetes is an herb called Hintonia latiflora. This herb, which is sometimes found under the name Sucontral D, comes backed by a growing body of research.

  Blood Sugar Regulation

  The herb delays the release of sugar into the bloodstream and keeps glucose levels low instead of allowing them to spike—a main cause of excessive insulin release, he explains.

  Another benefit of Hintonia latiflora relates to reducing insulin resistance and inflammation.

  But the greatest benefit, Dr. Teitelbaum contends, is the herb’s ability to “help maintain steady blood glucose levels throughout the day and night, thus contributing to long-term improvements in glucose control.”

  Glycosylated Hemoglobin

  In addition, studies show that Hintonia latiflora decreases glycosylated hemoglobin, which is just a complicated way of describing red blood cells combined with glucose.

  When glycosylated hemoglobin goes up, it’s a sign that diabetes is poorly controlled. A lower glycosylated hemoglobin number means better diabetes control and better overall health.

  Supplementing with Hintonia latiflora could bring glycosylated hemoglobin down by nearly 1 percent, which Dr. Teitelbaum says, is “often enough to make the diabetes go away.”

Conclusion

“Our modern diet, high in sugar and low in fiber, is the fast lane to a diabetes epidemic,” says Dr. Teitelbaum.

What can you do to prevent Type 2 diabetes or work to make it go away if you have it?

• Lose Weight

  Research shows that with adequate weight loss, 86 percent of diabetes cases can be eliminated.

• Exercise

  Walk daily in the sunshine or find another exercise you love—preferably outdoors.

• Reduce Carbs

  Decrease sugar and white flour but increase fiber. A ketogenic diet may be helpful. Consult with your healthcare practitioner.

• Supplement

  Take a good multivitamin high in magnesium and vitamin D.

• Eat Nuts

  Eat a half-cup of nuts daily to lower blood glucose.

What Is Hintonia latiflora?

Hintonia latiflora is an extract of the bark of a shrubby tree that grows in the Sonoran Desert. It has been used in folk medicine in Mexico and Central America to treat and even reverse high blood sugar, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome for over a century.

It’s been studied in detail for its ability to reverse high blood sugars for the past 60 years.

Studies Show Hintonia latiflora is Effective for Treating Diabetes

After a number of case reports showing efficacy, 10 more studies have been published looking at this herb’s effectiveness in treating diabetes. Research has shown it was so effective that many patients with Type 2 diabetes could reduce or eliminate their need for insulin, especially those needing 25 units a day or less. They were also routinely able to lower the dose or eliminate their oral hypoglycemic agents.

One Hintonia latiflora study followed 177 patients with prediabetes or mild Type 2 diabetes for eight months. Patients consumed capsules that included hintonia as the primary ingredient. During the study, patients were evaluated every two months on various parameters of diabetes, including HbA1C, fasting glucose, and postprandial blood sugar, as well as common symptoms associated with diabetes, such as neuropathy.

Improvements of Diabetics Using Hintonia latiflora

At the end of eight months, researchers noted these improvements:

• HbA1C improved by a significant average of 10.4 percent.
• Fasting glucose improved an average of 23.3 percent.  
• Postprandial glucose decreased by an average of 24.9 percent.

Improvements were also found in diabetic symptoms, as well as blood pressure, cholesterol, and liver enzyme values.

Is Hintonia latiflora Safe?

Hintonia latiflora is an incredibly safe herbal medicine. Researchers followed up with study participants for almost three years, and there were no side effects or any problems taking it in combination with blood-sugar-control medications.

How Does Hintonia latiflora Work?

• Hintonia inhibits glucosidases, slowing the breakdown and absorption of sugar in the gut. This delays the release of sugar into the bloodstream and keeps glucose levels low instead of allowing them to spike, a main cause of excessive insulin release.
• Coutareagenin, a nutrient found in hintonia extracts, appears to be responsible for other blood sugar-controlling benefits. It has been shown to reduce insulin resistance and inflammation.

Excerpted with permission from Diabetes Is Optional by Jacob Teitelbaum, MD ($8.95, To Your Health Books, 2018).

Vitamin D may prove to be a vital factor in treating diabetes, according to scientists at the Salk Institute. They discovered that the vitamin helps protect cells in the pancreas that store and release insulin. When those beta cells are dysfunctional, they can’t make insulin to control blood sugar (glucose). In turn, glucose levels can rise to dangerous levels.

“We know that diabetes is a disease caused by inflammation,” said researcher Ronald Evans, PhD. “We identified the vitamin D receptor as an important modulator of both inflammation and beta cell survival.”

In both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, the main problem is the body’s response to food.

When we eat, beta cells in the pancreas detect glucose (blood sugar) and release insulin, which tells other cells to ingest the glucose. This provides energy for cells and keeps circulating blood sugar at healthy levels.

Symptoms of Diabetes

Too much sugar in the blood stream damages blood vessels and wreaks havoc on organs and tissues.

This can lead to eye problems, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, and many other conditions. People develop diabetes when their bodies lose the ability to properly handle blood sugar.

Type 1 Diabetes

In Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune response destroys pancreatic beta cells. We don’t entirely understand why. Insulin is no longer released, cells don’t get the message to take in glucose, and blood sugar accumulates to toxic levels.

Until injectable insulin was developed, Type 1 diabetes was generally fatal.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is a bit more complicated. Cells gradually lose their ability to respond to insulin, causing toxic levels of glucose to accumulate in the bloodstream. This gradual loss could be caused by age, obesity, or other issues such as over-consumption of high-sugar foods over time. 

As blood sugar accumulates, pancreatic cells have to work harder to produce more insulin. The condition gradually escalates: Cells become more insulin-resistant; glucose accumulates in the blood stream, and the pancreas compensates by producing more insulin. 

Eventually, pancreatic beta cells burn out and the condition can become more like Type 1 diabetes, in which no insulin is produced at all.

Metabolic Syndrome

So far, not much can be done to prevent Type 1 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes is a different story.

The disease takes a long time to develop. It is often preceded by metabolic syndrome, a condition that comes with a laundry list of symptoms:

• Excess belly fat
• Too much bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides
• Too little good cholesterol (HDL)
• Inflammation
• High blood pressure
• Excessive blood clotting and poor circulation
• Initial insulin resistance
• Elevated fasting blood glucose

If many of these warning signs look familiar, it’s because they are also associated with cardiovascular disease—metabolic syndrome’s close relative.

However, these conditions are controllable and even reversible with a healthy diet, supplementation, and lifestyle changes.

Traditional Asian medicine is an abundant source of powerful herbal remedies that can help address diabetes and metabolic syndrome from many angles.

As always, I recommend a balanced approach incorporating diet, lifestyle, and natural supplements. Metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes are treatable conditions, and by addressing them with natural solutions, you can benefit numerous other areas of health in the process.

Botanicals to Help Manage Diabetes

• Gymnema Leaf

  Gymnema leaf is believed to improve insulin release and glucose uptake and support beta cell growth. In controlled studies, patients with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes have responded to gymnema leaf extract.

• Fenugreek Seeds

  Fenugreek seeds are rich in fiber and protein and naturally control glucose levels. This botanical slows digestion and carbohydrate absorption, leveling off insulin production. Studies have shown that patients given fenugreek seeds have improved blood sugar control and lower triglycerides.

• Holy Basil

  Holy basil is believed to enhance beta cell function and has shown positive results for patients with Type 2 diabetes.

Sweet news! Many plants and their extracts can help treat or prevent Type 2 diabetes.

While effective, people on antidiabetic medications should discuss the use of any herb with their healthcare practitioner.

Botanicals for Blood Sugar

Well-known botanicals with positive effects on blood sugar include:

• cinnamon
• fenugreek
• maitake mushrooms
• turmeric

Three more to add to the list are bitter melon, garlic, and gymnema.

• Bitter Melon

  Also known as ampalaya or bitter cucumber, bitter melon is available as tea, juice, powder, or capsules. It is not recommended for pregnant women. 

  Bitter melon reduces blood sugar and improves glucose tolerance, making it an effective supplement for people with Type 2 diabetes.

  How It Works

  Such individuals don’t produce enough insulin, so they have an impaired ability to convert sugar in their blood into energy in their muscles.

  Exercise is part of the treatment for Type 2 diabetes because it activates the enzyme AMPK, which helps move glucose from the blood into muscles and other tissues.

  In laboratory research, scientists have identified compounds in bitter melon that, like exercise, activate AMPK.

  Safety

  Diabetes drugs do the same thing, but they can have side effects.

  “The advantage of bitter melon is that there are no known side effects,” says Jiming Ye, PhD, who was involved in the study that identified bitter melon’s glucose-mediating compounds.

  “Practitioners of Chinese medicine have used it for hundreds of years to good effect.”

• Garlic

  Garlic appears to lower glucose levels and improve insulin sensitivity, but its benefits for people with diabetes may go well beyond that.

  How It Works

  Researchers fed garlic oil to rats with diabetes and saw beneficial changes associated with protection against heart damage.

  The changes appeared to be linked to garlic’s potent antioxidant properties.

  Garlic and Cardiomyopathy

  People with diabetes have a significantly heightened risk of death from heart disease.

  Among them is cardiomyopathy, which inflames and weakens the heart’s muscle tissue. It's a leading cause of death in people with diabetes.

  A recent study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found that garlic oil has strong potential for preventing it.

• Gymnema

  When taken in supplement form, gymnema can help lower blood sugar after meals.

  How It Works

  Gymnema leaf is believed to improve insulin release and glucose uptake.