Myths & facts about diabetes Pt:3

Myth #4-”This herb/bush will take care of my diabetes.”-MAYBE, MAYBE NOT

You may think that the next myth is only for Vincentians because we all love some good bush tea. But I have people of all backgrounds and nationalities coming into my clinic asking questions about a herb or tea they think can cure their diabetes. Several of my Chinese and Vietnamese patients have naturopathic doctors and pharmacists who give them herbs.{{more}} In many cultures, there are medical schools dedicated to training people on herbal medications and other non-western forms of healing like acupuncture and rakhi. Their knowledge is based on hundreds of years of experience, so this is no small thing.

Before I get everybody vexed and ready to trample me about their beloved bush tea, let me say that I do not doubt that certain herbs have medicinal properties. A lot of the medicines in the pharmacy actually first came from a plant. I myself drank about five gallons of bush tea as a child, made lovingly by my grandmother, whenever I had a cold or a bellyache. In general, I have no problem with patients taking herbal supplements but I do have concerns.

One is that people often do not realize that THESE ARE MEDICINES. For some reason, a lot of folks are happy to take anything they think of as “natural”, even if it means taking a cup full of pills everyday (I have had some patients bring me their list of 20 herbs/supplements), but the one diabetes pill from their local pharmacy they think of as poison. Please listen well: ALL MEDICATIONS, whether directly from the earth or not, have a potential for side effects. Whether it came from a laboratory or your backyard, it has potential to do both good and bad. “Natural” does not mean harmless.

My other concern is when patients take only herbs and no prescribed medicine at all. As a group, doctors like evidence: before we give a pill to someone in our clinic, we need to know that thousands and thousands of people took this medication and it helped their blood sugars. We do not know this about most herbs. We at least have good information about what your diabetes pill is expected to do for your sugars, but we have no idea what to expect from some Bud-in-Me-Eye twice a day.

So I cannot tell you “yes or no” about your herbs, because I, having received classic western medical education, know nothing about herbal medicine. There are some “natural” supplements like Chromium that are being studied to see if they really do treat diabetes. When my patients tell me about supplements or herbs they take, I research them, so I can offer some advice. It is your decision, but please be up front with your doctors about any herbal or / “natural” medicines you are taking. Whether they agree or disagree, it is important for you to be on the same page.

Until next time!

Anita Ramsetty, MD endodocs@endocrinehelp.com
Medical Director Endocrine Care Group
www.endocrinehelp.com