Diabetes - Chinese Medicine explanation and treatment
Diabetes stems from the inability of the pancreas to produce enough
insulin to regulate the blood sugar level in the body. Milder cases of diabetes can
be controlled by diet, but in many cases, daily injections of insulin are
necessary.
Chinese Medicine can be very successful in treating diabetes. It is generally considered a stomach, kidney and spleen problem. Called "sweet urine disease" in China, diabetes was recognized centuries ago and recorded in ancient medical texts, where it is described as "three too much and one too little." In other words, sufferers pass too much urine, are constantly thirsty and therefore drink too frequently and often eat too much. Sufferers can get very tired and thin.
There are well-documented cases of diabetics who were cured by Chinese herbal treatment, including those who were insulin-dependent. Sometimes diabetes is also considered to be a lung problem caused by heat in the body through a yin deficiency. A Chinese Medicine practitioner will clear heat from stomach, lungs and kidneys and will nourish the spleen, stomach and kidney. Lilyturf root, grassy privet, lotus seed, Chinese yam and mulberry fruit are used, as well as dogwood fruit and water plantain tuber.
Diabetics who are insulin-dependent
cannot be treated by a herbalist alone, but under the close supervision
of a Western doctor they can start taking herbs to improve their condition.
Often this leads to a reduction in the amount of insulin they need, and
it also helps the eyesight, heart and kidney functions which can be affected
by the condition.
Professor Song Ke
