THE BENEFITS OF WHEATGRASS FOR DIABETES

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder during which the body has a reduced ability (or none at all) to produce the hormone insulin or the insulin is inactivated (insulin resistance). Insulin is a hormone produced by pancreas and has a key role in controlling blood sugar levels. Type 2 diabetes is also frequently associated with excess weight and high blood levels of fats. Wheatgrass, scientifically known as Triticum aestivum, is a herb from the wheat family. Wheatgrass is a natural source of vitamins A, C, E, K and B complex and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, selenium, amino-acids and chlorophyll, according to Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. 

Folk Medicine

Because wheatgrass is rich in healthy nutrients, this herb has been proposed for improving a variety of health conditions, from boosting immune system and antibacterial activity to colon detoxification, diabetes and cancer, Mayo Clinic says. However limited clinical studies confirmed these health benefits.

Diabetic Diet & Meals Free Diabetic Recipes > Breakfast, Lunch - Snack - Dinner - Dessert. www.diabetesinfocenter.org

Research

Wheatgrass has a definite role in improving glucose and lipids levels and can effectively be used in the management of diabetes, suggests a research team in a study published in December 2009 issue of "Journal of Herbal Medicine and Toxicology." This study was conducted on 30 volunteers and wheatgrass was added to one meal. Glycemic index or GI is a number that measures the impact that a food has on blood glucose levels and diabetics should consume low GI foods. The researchers found that adding 15 g of wheatgrass to certain foods significantly lowered the GI of those foods and thus improving blood glucose levels. The blood levels of some fats called triglycerides were also improved in the participants who consumed wheatgrass. Larger studies are warranted to confirm these clinical findings.
Michael M. Murray, ND, author of "Beat Diabetes Naturally: The Best Foods, Herbs, Supplements, and Lifestyle Strategies to Optimize Your Diabetes Care," also suggests the consumption of wheat grass by diabetics.

Safety

Wheatgrass has an excellent safety profile and is well tolerated. Rare side effects include mild nausea and headaches. Wheatgrass may cause allergic reactions in susceptible individuals, thus you should not consume this herb if you have allergy to wheat or grass or celiac disease, warns Mayo Clinic. The safety of wheatgrass is not fully assessed during pregnancy or lactation, so it should not be consumed by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Considerations

Consult a qualified health-care provider to find out optimal dosage of daily wheat grass that may help improve your condition. Wheatgrass does not replace and should not be used to replace any medication you are currently taking.

Diabetes

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases worldwide, and it is estimated that about 346 million people suffer from this disease. (WHO, 2011).

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder during which the body has a reduced ability (or none at all) to produce the hormone insulin or the insulin is inactivated (insulin resistance).
The body insulin is needed for the blood sugar (glucose) to enter cells and provide them with nourishment. Due to the lack of insulin or insulin resistance, protein and fat metabolism is also affected.
Diabetes is not a single disease, but represents several different diseases with completely different variety of reasons, but the common feature is that blood sugar level is too high.
The combination of high blood sugar level, obesity, high cholesterol level and high blood pressure (hypertension) is called the metabolic syndrome.

Type II and type I diabetes mellitus

The two best known and most common forms of diabetes are type 1 and type 2.
Type 1 is also known as children's and juvenile's diabetes because it usually breaks out in childhood or adolescence. The main cause of this disease is the lack or absence of insulin in the body, and it always requires lifelong insulin treatment. Some adults can have type 1 diabetes as well.
Type 2 is a form of adult-onset diabetes which is almost always present after 40 years of age. Type 2 diabetes mellitus is treated with oral medications, insulin and drugs that affect the production of so-called GLP-1, an endogenous hormone that affects, among other things, the release of insulin. Even younger people, especially those with obesity, may have type 2 diabetes.
Both diabetes types have several common features, but have also many differences. Among other things, the causes of diseases and treatment methods differ. Treatment goal for both types is to try to achieve the insulin and glucose turnover to the levels the healthy people have.
Type 2 diabetes mellitus, unlike type 1, has a relatively slow onset and the symptoms are not so pronounced.
Those patients who have type 2 diabetes can sometimes start to take insulin injections for a short time since it may take many years before you need to take insulin again. The reason is that the body still produces insulin, and the pancreatic beta cells are not destroyed as in type 1 diabetes.
Patients with type 2 diabetes have an insufficient insulin production and, above all, increased insulin resistance, which means a reduced ability of cells to utilize the produced insulin.

Symptoms of diabetes

Some important symptoms of diabetes are as following: you start to urinate often, your thirst increases, you become tired and listless, you can develop numbness and some infections (bacteria and fungi) in the urinary tract, genitals and the skin.
The symptoms of type 2 diabetes can be quite diffuse and develop for a long time. Therefore, it is not unusual to have diabetes for some time without knowing it, and to first discover the elevated blood sugar levels when doing a health check.

Treatment of diabetes

In type 2 diabetes, the treatment typically starts with improved diet, physical activity and attempts at weight loss, since high levels of blood fats and blood pressure must be actively addressed.
However, diet and exercise therapy are not always very successful. It is difficult to change exercise habits, and it is even more difficult to make people eat differently from what they were used to eat for decades. Therefore, the pharmacological treatment of the disease becomes inevitable fairly soon.
Besides insulin, there are other pharmacological treatment options. Most of them are in tablet form: metformin, glyburide, glipizide, repaglinide, glimepiride, acarbose, pioglitazone, rosiglitazone, sitagliptin, vildagliptin and exenatide (injections).
The tablets do not contain insulin but stimulate the beta cells of the pancreas to produce more insulin and increase cells' sensitivity to insulin.
Sometimes, it is not enough to take oral pills to keep a steady blood sugar, and then you have to start making insulin injections. You can also combine insulin and tablets. Obviously, everything should be done under doctor's supervision.

Complications

The risk of complications increases the longer you have had the disease and the worse the blood sugar is controlled.
Over time, high blood sugar damages the vessels and nerves. The damage primarily affects the eyes, heart, kidneys, joints and feet (numbness). By having as normal blood sugar as possible you can avoid or delay the dangerous consequences.
Diabetes is one of the most powerful risk factors for diseases of the heart and blood vessels, such as: heart attack, angina, cerebral infarction (stroke) and kidney damage.
Therefore, it is important for the patient to minimize such risk factors of cardiovascular disease as, smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity.

Diabetes and your sexual health

Among other problems, diabetes can cause sexual problems for men and women.
How men are affected
Diabetes can damage nerves and arteries, which interfere with the blood supply needed for an efficient erection. For men who have diabetes, the probability that they experience the problem, known as Erectile Dysfunction (ED) or impotence, is three times higher compared to healthy men.
Do not panic. Erectile dysfunction is a common disorder and can be effectively treated.
Some factors that increase the risk of experiencing impotence (ED):

1. Poor control of your blood sugar levels
2. High Cholesterol
3. High blood pressure
4. Smoking
5. Excessive alcohol intake

There are also some medicines, such as high blood pressure medicines, antidepressants and anti-ulcer medications, which can have side effects that contribute to sexual dysfunction. Stress can also affect.

Prevention and Treatment

There are several options available for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, such as oral medications (Viagra, Cialis, Levitra), injections (Caverject), suppositories and vacuum devices. If you notice any problem with your erection that persists for more than 6 months, talk to your health care professional right away.
How women are affected
Sexual dysfunction due to diabetes can affect women too. High blood pressure, nerve damage, depression and fungal infections are quite common in women with diabetes and may contribute to sexual problems.
If you have any of the following symptoms, there is a risk that you are suffering from some form of diabetes-related sexual dysfunction:

1. Decreased interest in sex
2. Vaginal dryness
3. Discomfort during intercourse
4. Difficulty getting an orgasm

The prevention and treatment

Start by talking to your health care professional who can help you determine the best path to choose. An easy solution, such as the use of lubricants during intercourse, can also work. If you have problems with your sex life, seek help from your health care professional.

Source :  http://erectiledysfunctiondrugs.com/diabetes/