By
Sophia Tang, L.Ac.
Diabetes is treatable! Chinese medicine has already provided a solution dated back 2000 years ago!
Do you suspect that you could have diabetes? If you are having the following symptoms you may
already have diabetes: some diabetes symptoms include frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme
hunger, unusual weight loss, increased fatigue, and irritability.
Western medical professionals do not know the real cause of diabetes. The solution for people with
high blood glucose is providing them with medication for lowering the blood glucose levels. Doctors
are directing their treatment towards the symptoms of diabetes instead of the source of those
symptoms. Since the treatment is not addressing the root of the problem you would need a greater
dosage later on when the current one can no longer keep the blood glucose at a normal state. Once
the medication is unable to control the rising of blood glucose an insulin injection would then be
required. The side effects of those medications will be extremely toxic for your body, especially
your liver and kidneys. If kidney failure develops you will then be required to go on dialysis
treatment 2-3 times a week. The toxins in the liver will eventually cause blindness. Your whole
quality of life would dramatically drop once the complication of the diabetes has developed into
this advanced stage.
Chinese medicine has already had the solution for diabetes dated back 2000 years ago!
In one classical Chinese medical text, compiled around 100 B.C. by Huandi Neijing, it mentions the condition
know as Xiaoke, which is referring to diabetes as Wasting-Thirst syndrome. According to this ancient text
the symptoms of Xiaoke or diabetes arise from consuming too much fatty, sweet, or rich food. Improper diet
and sleeping after finishing a late dinner are the main contributors for the development of diabetes.
In another classical Chinese medical text written around 220 A.D. by Jingui Yaoluem it has a
detailed description of symptoms and characteristics of uncontrolled diabetes. There are also two
formulas given in this book for diabetes treatment.
What can the Chinese herbal treatments do for diabetes?
When we can get a deep understanding of diabetes and the symptoms it causes we can then use customized
formulas based on the teaching from those ancient Chinese medical texts. These medical practices can also
diagnose and get an understanding of people on an individual basis. The formula could be slightly altered
to target a person with individual needs. These methods are not practiced by most Chinese medical
practitioners nowadays. They have been somewhat lost due to the western medicine influences on Chinese
teachings.
What are some of the differences between the traditional Chinese treatments and the western
approach?
According to western medicine the high blood glucose will damage the kidneys. From the point of view of
Chinese medicine the high blood glucose and the treatment will damage the kidneys. Once your spleen and
your pancreas start having problems the next major organ to be targeted is your kidneys. From the
perspective of the high blood glucose causing the problem the west and east pretty much have the same
point of view but the treatment of the diabetes is where the two systems differ. In Chinese medicine we
use herbs to strengthen your kidneys so the high blood glucose won’t cause damage to the kidneys. These
herbs will also resolve the problem of frequent urination. The main reason someone will experience
excessive thirst and hunger with diabetes is the increase in speed of the intestine and stomach squirm.
This creates a lot of heat and friction in the digestive tract resulting in a need for food and liquid
replenishment sooner than normal. This heat then starts causing problems to the nearby pancreas so it
also won’t be able to function normally. Herbs have the ability to cool the excessive heat and add
nutrients to the digestive system. This will then calm down the intestines and stomach and bring the
pancreas back to a normal state resolving the issue of excessive thirst and hunger. Once the disharmony
in the organs is taken care of your blood sugar will go back to normal. In cases that the diabetes is in
an advanced stage, having tingling and numbness in your hands, legs, and feet, and blurred vision, the
herb treatment can help with this as well.
How long does it take for the herbal treatment?
It really depends on the complications of your diabetes. For type II diabetes it generally takes 2-8 weeks
for a raw herb treatment. For some people it may take a shorter time, others it may take longer. After the
raw herbs we will use herbal powder or tablets for about a month to solidify the treatment. For type I
diabetes our treatments may not be able to recover the normal function of the pancreas, but it will help to
strengthen your organs to prevent further complications. It will also reduce the blood glucose level so
the insulin injection dosage can be reduced to prevent more harm to all of your organs.
Will it come back again?
If you still keep bad diet habits and take too many drugs to damage the spleen and pancreases the disease
may come back again later on. We want to point out that the real cause of type II diabetes is the bad diet
habit and many harmful drugs introduced to your system. If the cause of the disease can not be avoided
chances are the disease will come back later on in your life. In conclusion we are trying to emphasize
using the traditional Chinese medicine treatments that have been practiced for over 2000 years is the best
and most proven way to combat diabetes.