by Tina Clancy

Created on: February 28, 2008

Each year thousands of people are diagnosed with diabetes and doctors prescribe drugs to help with the symptoms. Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although both genetics and environmental factors such as obesity and lack of exercise appear to play roles. There is a combination of alternative herbal remedies that can help you regulate your sugar naturally.

Cinnamon is a common household spice that helps the body metabolizes sugar in the body. Some research suggests that as little as one to six grams of cinnamon per day may help regulate glucose levels in the body.

Chromium is a hormone whose primary role is modifying the body's response to carbohydrate, proteins, and fats, insulin is produced in the pancreas. Following a meal the pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream, as glucose, or blood sugar, levels from the digested meal begin to rise. Glucose is the primary fuel for energy production within all body tissues including the brain. But it can't get into cells without the help of insulin. A hormone that binds to special receptors on cell membranes, insulin facilitates the cellular uptake of glucose. The more sugar that enters the blood, the more insulin that is required to transport it into cells. Eating refined carbohydrates and sugary foods quickly raises glucose levels making these foods particularly troublesome for anyone with a blood sugar imbalance such as diabetes. While glucose transport is the primary role of insulin, chromium's main function is increasing insulin's efficiency in regulating blood sugar levels.

Fenugreek helps to lower blood sugar levels by slowing the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Fenugreek contains a substance that helps to control blood sugar levels and increased insulin production. Fenugreek may also increase the number of insulin receptors in red blood cells and improve glucose utilization in peripheral tissues, thus demonstrating potential anti-diabetes effects both in the pancreas and other sites.
Alpha-lipoic acid is an antioxidant that is manufactured in the human body. Antioxidants are substances that work by attacking "free radicals," waste products created when the body turns food into energy. Several studies suggest that patients taking 600 mg to 1200 mg treatments with Alpha-lipoic acid had help

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