Diabetes Mellitus is a debilitating disease, known to man kind since a long time. Ayurvedic classics like “Charaka Samhita” (1500 B.C.) contains pathological descriptions of this pernicious disease. It is really surprising that our Ayurvedic physicians understood Diabetes as a metabolic disorder more than 3500 years ago and have clearly described its pathogenesis clinical indications and methods of treatment.

Diabetes can not be cured but can be controlled. Still its management and treatment are challenging tasks, as this disease has become devastating and assumed epidemic proportions.

India now has the dubious distinction of being the Number one country to have the maximum number of diabetic patients in the world. It is now the Diabetes capital of the world. It has now 3.5 crores of Diabetics while the world has 23 crore patients.

Every year 60 lakhs persons join the Diabetic ‘band wagon’. Every year about 10 lakhs people lose their limbs due to diabetes. The stastical figures are alarming.

What really is Diabetes?

It is a disorder of the carbohydrates Metabolisms in which the sugars in our body are not utilized to produce essential energy due to lack of pancreatic hormone “Insulin”. In normal conditions, what happens to the food we eat? Whether we eat in a five star hotel or in a Roadside food stall, it is immaterial to our brain. It recognizes food only

when it is converted into sugars, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals. Majority of the food is broken into sugars called Glucose. Glucose is then absorbed into the blood. But this glucose has to be got into our body “cells” from the circulating blood for energy, body building and function. The cells are surrounded by soft receptors which can not be penerated by blood. The “key” for opening the “lock” of receptors is “Insulin”. The pancreas supplies this hormone to blood. Once Insulin opens the door, blood pours glucose into the cells, so that it becomes the fuel to run the body functions. Insulin is the “controller” of sugar levels in the body deciding how much glucose is to be utilized and how much to be stored. These are normal functions. Pancreas in our body has beta cells that produce Insulin. As long as sufficient Insulin is available, there is no problem.

But due to various reasons, when pancreas reduces or stops supply, the entry of glucose into body cells is hampered. This leads to high levels of glucose in the blood. This is just like the case of ship – wrecked, marooned sea – borne sailor’s cry – “water, water every where but no water to drink”. Plenty of glucose energy is available but cannot be utilized.

Because of non – availability of energy – fuel – glucose, the brain searches out and uses “Fat:” as alternative source of energy. This leads to disturbances in acid balance level, accumulation of ketenes in the blood and eventually to convulsions preceding diabetic coma.

The symptoms of Diabetes Mellitus are Reduced body strength, numbness of limbs, general weakness and fatigue, Loss of weight, The urine out put gets excessive. The normal out put is 40 to 52 ounces. (1ounce – 25ml) But the diabetic passes 120 to 400 ounces of urine. The diabetic takes more liquids and passes more and more urine leading to loss of sugar which should have been assimilated into the system, Constant thirst, Skin eruptions, Itching in the groin and eczema on various parts of the body, Voracious, in satiable hunger, Blurred vision, Nausea and Vomiting

What brings on Diabetes Mellitus

Hereditary – persons having strong family history of diabetes, especially in first degree relatives, Obesity, Lack of exercises, sedentary life style, High blood pressure, High blood cholesterol levels, Physical stress, In women – polycystic ovarian syndrome can trigger diabetes and Cartico – steroid medicine may cause diabetes

Types of Diabetes

Type 1:- This type is commonly called Juvenile diabetes and Insulin dependent diabetes (IDDM). The patients of Type 1 diabetes solely depend on Insulin. They may not be amenable to other types of treatment or alternate medicine. The risk factor, is if these patients are not treated with Insulin, they may get to Diabetic ketoacidosis, a medical emergency. Wasim Akram, the well known Pakistani pace bowler has this Type 1 diabetes since he was 30. He does not have family history of diabetes. The tragedy of Juvenile diabetes is, it affects children, primarily. Children love sweets. But if a afflicted with diabetes, sweets are prohibited to these children.

Type 2:- Includes patients who can survive on oral medicines. The patients have low levels of Insulin; But could manage with medicines, food control and lifestyle change.

Type 3:- Gestational Diabetes

This occurs during pregnancy and may reduce or disappear once the delivery is over. This type can be controlled with medicine and diet, as it would affect foetus. Type 3 diabetes can be treated and cured.

Stages of Diabetes

• The pre – diabetic stage:- This is the stage when one has not yet been afflicted with Diabetes but liable to get it due to following factors 1, Hereditary 2. Women who delivers a high – weight, child with a large head. 3. Frequent abortions.
• The latent stage:- In this stage, diabetes present in the body can not diagnosed with ordinary tests. Special tests are needed.
• Chemical stage:- (Sub – clinical stage) The normal symptoms are absent. But blood shows increased blood sugar.
• Clinical stage:- Patient suffering from general symptoms, seeks medical help.
• Stage of complications:- When all symptoms of Diabetes manifest with complications.

Complications of diabetes:-

Like Blood pressure, Diabetes is a silent killer. It causes several life threatening complications. Dr. Frederick Allen of USA stated that diabetes is not merely a faulty carbohydrate metabolism. It is a manifestation of body’s internal deficiencies and diseases!. Diabetes affects every major organ in the body.

1. Diabetic Retinopathy:- Diabetes mellitus may cause damage to the blood vessels of Retina, leading to bleeding, scarring and vetimately to blindness. It can also cause cataracts and Glaucoma.

2. Diabetic Nephropathy:- Normally urine does not contain Glucose because kidneys have special filters that filter out the glucose. In diabetic patients, the high glucose levels in the blood over – strain the filters with the result that glucose, unfiltered, enters the Urine. The fluctuations in the blood sugar led cause severe urinary tract infections, affects kidneys and kidney failure may result.

3. Diabetic Neuropathy:- Chronic diabetes may damage to nerve tissues, causing weakness, and numbness.

4. Foot and skin ailments:- Fungal, bacterial infections are common in diabetic. The patients are more prone to foot infections and injury, leading to amputations. Diabetes causes gangrene, skin infections like Fungus, mouth ulcers, leg infections, acanthosis nigricans (darkening and thickening of skin) due to Insulin resistance and diabetic blisters

5. Diabetic Keto acidosis:- This happens when the diabetic body, failing to get insulin to break down glucose, uses fat for sustenance and energy. This use of fat leads to forming of ketenes, causing acidity in the blood and eventually to convulsions and diabetic coma.

6. Cardio – vascular and micro vascular diseases : High blood sugar levels alters cholesterol level and can cause blocks in the major arteries of legs. Type 1 diabetes causes thickening of small blood vessels. (Micro Angiopathy).

Monitoring Diabetes

• Check sugar & acetone levels in the urine and blood regularly.
• Monitoring of weight and blood pressure
• Foot examination at regular intervals
• Serum fructosamine:- This test indicates overall control of diabetic during the last 3 weeks.
• Every 3 months – HBA1 C test which indicates over all control of diabetes
• Once in a year, check eyes, blood cholesterol, kidney function.

Ideal sugar levels

The normal fasting blood sugar content is 80 – 120 mg per 100 ml of blood This can go up to a level of 160 mg per 100 ml of blood, 2 hours after meals. Anything above these levels is termed as diabetes.

Hypoglycemia (Low sugar)

Sometimes due too much Insulin or drugs, not eating enough food, delayed food, may cause blood sugar levels dropping down to dangerously low levels. Symptoms are Fainting. Head ache, palpitations, Trembling, Hunger, Irritability, confusion, sleepiness, loss of conscious ness etc.

Make the patient eat 5 to 6 teaspoon sugar. Call the Doctor.

Hyperglycemia (High blood sugar)

Too little insulin or drugs, stress, Infection, fever, wrong diet etc may cause this condition. Consult your physician.

Treatment of Diabetes: Ayurvedic way

As said earlier. Ayurveda has understood this disease since ancient times. It explains the cause of the disease to sedentary life style, eating heavy foods, oversleeping etc. Surprisingly, the Ayurveda recommends physical exercises and reduction of weight, along with medications. Lot of good ayurvedic market preparations are available

Home remedies

• Take two tender leaves of neem and bilva each on an empty stomach in the morning. This helps reduce blood sugar Tulasi leaves also can be added.
• 1 table spoon of powdered Jamoon seeds, mixed with Bitter – gourd juice taken twice a day, helps to control diabetes. Gooseberry (Amla) Juice also can be added.
• Juice of curry leaves on empty stomach in the morning
• One teaspoon of fig fruit powder daily helps to control diabetes

Ayurvedic herbs in the treatment of diabetes are Gymnema sylvestre, Mimordica charantia, Syzygium cuminii, Trigonella foenum, Coriandrum sativum, Cinnamomum zeylanica, Lippia nudiflora, Mangifera indica, Nympheae pubescens, Curcuma longum, Terminalia chebula, Terminalia balerica, Phyllanthus emblica, Ptercarpus Marsupiam, Swertia chirata etc.

Besides the herbs mentioned above, there are potent ayurvedic preparations to combat diabetes, like chandraprabha Vati. Shilajt combinations, Nag Bhasma,. Amrita mehari churana etc.

No management of diabetes is possible without control on the food - regimen; every diabetic patient must observe diet control prescribed by the doctor. Otherwise, mere medication will not help. Sugar in any from is to be avoided.

Not only food regimen, regular exercises, yoga, meditation physical activities etc help managing this serious disease. Do not get into depression. Watch your weight. Monitor your blood sugar level, preferably at home, because you may swing from hyperglycemia to hypoglycemia rapidly.