Friday, March 29, 2013

Dangers of high blood sugar can be alleviated with cinnamon, chromium and bitter melon

Friday, March 29, 2013 by: Talya Dagan

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(NaturalNews) Blood sugar causes degenerative disease. Not only diabetes is a concern, but also high blood sugar affects the eyes, kidneys, brain, the heart, and also speeds the aging process. Sugar creates inflammation in the body, and burns the cells by inflammatory oxidation. This inflammatory process is called glycation. It damages the organs, blood vessel and cells. Excess sugar in the blood can make a person feel tired and fatigued and turn into fat. This causes weight gain and fat deposits in the stomach area. To reduce blood sugar, first stop eating any refined sugar or white sugar. Read packaging for hidden sugars in processed foods such as corn sweeteners.

Symptoms of low or high blood sugar imbalance

Low blood sugar can cause a jittery or nervous sensation. Some people feel shaky and lightheaded when their blood sugar is low. They can crave sweets or coffee as a pick-me-up. Even after eating, you can experience hungry and sugar cravings if your blood sugar is low. High blood sugar can make a person feel tired, especially after eating. It can also cause a person to feel irritated by little things, or tired throughout the day.

Nutrients to reduce high blood sugar

Chromium

Chromium removes glucose from your blood. When you eat sugar, your body utilizes the supply of chromium, so it's important to add this nutrient to your diet. Chromium levels also decrease with aging by as much as 40 percent. The most biologically active form of chromium is chromium polynicotinate.

Vanadium

Vanadium is a trace mineral that helps stabilize blood sugar. Vanadium in the form of vanadyl sulfate is easily absorbed. It allows the sugar in your blood to go to the muscles where it can be burned more easily.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon challenges the body to respond better to insulin. This is a great benefit to individuals who are insulin resistant or have diabetes or other blood sugar issues. Cinnamon contains methylhydroxy chalone (MHCP), a polymer that balances the blood sugar and increases the body's energy stores. One study showed that cinnamon reduced blood sugar by 29 percent while also reducing cholesterol.

Gymnema sylvestre

Gymnema sylvestre is an herb used in ayurvedic medicine in India. It destroys sugar, which is also the meaning of the plant's name. This herb prevents the sugar in foods you eat from turning into glucose too quickly. It slows the conversion of sugar to blood glucose. By doing so, the blood sugar remains more stable.

Bitter melon

Momordica charantia, or bitter melon is a tropical fruit with blood sugar lowering properties, demonstrated in over 100 research studies. It also has been shown to reduce the appetite. The ingredient in the fruit called lectin along with four other chemical compounds, lower the concentration of sugar in the blood. Bitter melon stimulates an enzyme in the body that mimics the method by which exercise utilizes sugar in the blood. This means that by eating bitter melon, the sugar in the blood is moved from the blood to the muscles and is then converted to energy, instead of to fat.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.naturalnews.com/027896_diabetes_gymnema.html
http://www.naturalnews.com/031538_cinnamon_coughs.html
http://bittermelon.org/heal/healthbenefits
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14633804

About the author:
Talya Dagan is a health advocate and health coach, trained in nutrition and gourmet health food cuisine, writing about natural remedies for disease and nutrition and herbal medicine.