Being diagnosed with any type of Diabetes can be devastating. The lifestyle and behavior changes that are necessary to safely manage this disease can be extremely difficult for many new diabetics to cope with. Often, newly diagnosed diabetics will frantically search out cures, treatments, or ways to reverse their condition. This article will explore some of the most commonly found "cures" and attempt to shed some light on these medically controversial claims.
Diet
Diet changes are often the first thing you'll find when searching for a Diabetes cures. There are diets marketed specifically for Diabetics that promise to reverse the damage and cure the disease simply by changing ones eating habits. While it may be true that dietary adjustments during the pre-Diabetic phase can have miraculous effects on symptom reduction and possibly even prevention of Diabetes-onset, once one has developed a diagnosable form of Diabetes simple diet changes will not reverse the disease. Diet is one of the primary means by which diabetics can control their blood sugar and reduce the medication required to maintain their health but it has not been medically proven to cure Diabetes. There is a huge difference between symptom disappearance and curing the actual ailment causing the disease and so far there hasn't been a diet proven to be a real cure for Diabetes.
Hydration
Another common claim is that by staying hydrated you can nudge your body into a natural state of healing through cell replacement. Staying hydrated is recommended to anyone, not just diabetics. By staying hydrated, you will feel more alert, less nauseous, you will sleep better, your bathroom breaks will be more regular, and your body will simply feel better. These are often mistaken for Diabetes symptom reduction when in fact they are simply a reduction of dehydration symptoms. The simple truth is that levels of hydration will only effect cell replacement in the body at the extreme end of dehydration. So whether you're fully hydrated, slightly dehydrated, or somewhere in between, your body will be replacing cells at the same rate. Staying hydrated is always good medical advice, but it will not provide a Diabetes reversal as many websites claim.
Weight Loss
Losing weight through diet and exercise is actually one method that has been shown to reverse Diabetes at least somewhat. The main causes of Diabetes are poor diets and sedentary lifestyles so it does make good medical sense that reversing these causes may also reverse the disease. Bringing your body back into proper shape will raise the efficiency of all systems and allow your body to process sugar and other nutrients in a more natural way. The combination of losing weight and improved diet have been shown to provide diabetics with an ability to manage their blood sugar more naturally through decreased insulin sensitivity. This eliminates the need for regular usage of medications to manage the disease.
Herbal Remedies
There are many websites claiming to have herbal remedies for almost every disease known to humans, including Diabetes. While there are some herbs that have been shown to lessen symptoms and assist in blood-sugar control, there still isn't a "magic bullet" herb that will cure the disease and heal the damage to a diabetic's body. Professional medical advice should be sought before taking any medicine, especially herbal medicines. If you are already taking medicines or insulin to manage Diabetes, the addition of an herbal medicine could have unforseen side effects which can be potentially very serious. Herbal remedies should be thoroughly researched and scrutinized before one believes the label or the marketing slogan that is attempting to sell them.
Conclusion
The natural reaction to a Diabetes diagnosis is - "What can I do to fix it?". The answer is - begin by managing the disease and lessening the symptoms through improved diet and daily exercise. These are the only proven methods for reducing symptoms and maintenance requirements of Diabetes. Fad diets can help to reduce symptoms but an actual cure for Diabetes goes beyond the food you eat. Hydration will help with symptom reduction but will not result in reversing Diabetes. Herbal remedies can have positive effects on symptoms but there is still no herbal cure discovered that will totally cure Diabetes. True reversal of Diabetes is not possible in the short term however there are controversial studies showing a glimmer of hope for a long term cure or reversal.
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