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Diabetes

The term 'Diabetes' has been used classically for involuntary or excessive Urination. Therefore, not all traditional formulas classically used for 'Diabetes' are relevant for the modern diagnosis of Diabetes (Diabetes mellitus).

Diabetes can be divided into Diabetes Insipidus and Diabetes mellitus. The former is marked by excessive urination, with dehydration and thirst. The latter may present similarly, but shows sugar in the urine due to abnormal carbohydrate metabolism and is far more common and is becoming more common in the developed world.

Diabetes Mellitus is divided into two main types:
  • Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (IDDM or Type 1)
  • Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus (NIDDM or Type 2). It may also be classified into Juvenile Onset (former) and Late Onset (latter).

Avicenna classed Diabetes as being due to either Cold attacking the Kidneys, or excess Heat of the Kidneys. Cold attacks the Kidneys and weakens them. Excess Heat damages Yin and makes the person drink more fluid, yet is always thirsty.

In a more elaborate classification from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Diabetes is either associated with Kidney or Spleen deficiency, or excess Heat.
  • Kidney Deficiency:
    • Yin Deficiency: Low back and knee pain, dizzy, tinnitus, night sweating, spermatorrhea, Fever at night, heat in the feet at night, dry mouth, Red tongue with little coating, Rapid and thin pulse
    • Yin Deficiency with Heat: Tidal or Afternoon Fever, Night Sweats, hot feeling in the feet, thirst, Small, rapid pulse, Red tongue with little coating, or dry and slight cracks
    • Yang Deficiency: Low back and leg pain and weakness, Cold feeling in the body or lower body, thirsty, difficult or frequent urination, nocturnal urination, edema, Pale, swollen tongue with a moist white coat, Slow, deep and weak pulse.
  • Spleen Deficiency:
    • Poor appetite, indigestion, loose stool, emaciation, pale face, pale moist tongue, Small, deep pulse
  • Excess Heat
    • Sweating, Thirst, dry mouth, irritability, big pulse, Red Tongue
      • Bai Hu Tang

Treatment usually revolves around a combination of stradegies depending on the individual:
  1. Strengthen and Astringe the Kidneys
  2. Nourish Kidney Yin
  3. Strengthen Spleen
  4. Clear Heat

Of course diet plays a key role in the management of Diabetes Mellitus. Reducing Sugar and refined carbohydrates, reducing food intake if necessary and increasing exercise are all important.

Foods useful to control Diabetes:
Broccoli
Pumpkin
Okra
Spinach, Kale
Asparagus
Blueberries, Raspberries
Beans, Lentils
Oat, Oat bran
Pumpkin seeds
Chia seed
Linseed
Nuts (Peanuts, Almonds, Walnuts)
Apple Cider Vinegar
Citrus fruit
Seafood, Fatty fish
Eggs
Yoghurt, Kiefer
Sauerkraut, Kimchi
Medicines with Reported Hypoglycemic effects
Barley
Camomile
Cassia
Cinnamon
Coriander seed
Cucumber seed
Cumin
Cyperus rotundus
Fenugreek
Fig
Frankincense
Gall
Gum Arabic
Hawthorn
Juniper berry
Lavender
Myrrh
Myrtle
Oregano
Pepper
Plantain
Pomegranate
Pumpkin seed
Purslane
Raisin
Rhubarb
Rose
Rosemary
Sage
Squill
Tamarind
Water Lily
Medicines proven to be of benefit in Diabetes Mellitus:
Other Herbs used for Diabetes in Traditional Medicine
Adiantum
Anacardium
Bidens pilosa
Clerodendrum
Coccinia grandis
Colocynth
Ficus racemosa bark
Garlic
Hygrophila auriculata
Nux Vomica
Rauwolfia
Scoparia dulcis
Western Tradition

Simples
Sour Pomegranate
Rose
Coriander seed
Purslane seed
Licorice
Walnut leaf
Sandalwood
Turmeric
Nutmeg
Sumac
Tragacanth
Frankincense
Pomegranate flower
Lettuce seed
Myrtle fruit
Plantain seed
Nettle root
Mulberry leaf
Water Lily
Cinnamon
Cypress nut
Juice of Unripe Grapes
Gum Arabic
Tabasheer
Combinations
1. Fenugreek, Coriander seed
2. Cinnamon, Fenugreek
3, Nettle root Vervain Caraway (Wirtzung)
4. Emblic Myrobalan Tumeric Tribulus seed Barberry (Tibetan Medicine)
5. Myrtle seed with Coriander, Rose, Pomegranate
6. Chebula, Safflower, Cardamon, Shilajit, Madder, Emblic Myrobalan, Tumeric, Barberry, Tribulus (Tibetan Medicine)
7. Plantain seed, Purslane seed, Coriander seed, Rose, Armenian Earth, Tormentil, Nutmeg
8. Gymnema, Bitter Gourd, Fenugreek, Tinospora (this was trialled in India wih impressive results)

Formulas
Conserve of Rose
Decoction Liberans
Syrup of Violet Compound
Abbots Confect of Rose (Diarrhodon Abbatis)
Powder for Diabetes (Unani)
Powder for Diabetes Greater (Unani)
Powder for Diabetes (Riverius)
Powder for Diabetes (Wirtzung)
Powder for Incontinence (Rhasis)
Decoction for Diabetes from Heat (Wirtzung)
Troches of Barberry (Mesue)
Troches of Spodium (Trochisci Spodii) (Mesue)
Troches of Spodium (Trochisci Spodii) (Avicenna)
Troches of Spodium (Trochisci Spodii) (Nicholas)

Emblic 6 (Kyu ru duk pa) (Tibetan Medicine)
Chebula 18 for Urinary Incontinence (Gcin snyi a ru 18)
Possessor of Ruby Color (Pad rag mdog ldan) (Tibetan)
TCM Classification

Lung Heat
thirsty even after drinking, maybe low fever, dry mouth, thirst, frequent urination

Zhu Ye Shi Gao Tang


Stomach Heat
big appetite, always hungry even after eating, desires cold drinks, loss of weight, dry stools, red tongue

Bai Hu Tang
Bai Hu Jia Ren Shen Tang
Nu Yu Jian


Spleen Deficiency
Poor appetite, indigestion, loose stool, emaciation, pale face, pale moist tongue, Small, deep pulse

Si Jun Zi Tang
Shen Ling Bai Zhu San


Yin Deficiency
thirst, frequent urination, rice water like urine, sweet smelling urine, dry mouth and lips, shortness of breath, red tongue.

Liu Wei Di Huang Wan
Mai Wei Di Huang Wan
Qi Ju Di Huang Wan
Yu Ye Tang
Da Bu Yin Wan


Yin Deficient Heat
As above, but with more signs of Heat, Night Sweats, Feeling of Heat and Night, more dryness of the Mouth, Irritability and Insomnia

Zhi Bai Di Huang Wan
Da Bu Yin Wan


Yin and Yang Deficiency
frequent urination, urinates after drinking, dull and dark face, lower back pain, weak knees, feels the cold, impotence

Shen Qi Wan (Jin Gui Shen Qi Wan) (Rehmannia 8)
You Gui Yin
You Gui Wan


Loss of Kidney Essence
Spermatorrhea, turbid Urine, excess urination, Thirst, deep and weak Pulse with a p[ale tongue

Sang Piao Xiao San
Fu Tu Dan
Special Formulas
1. Pig Pancreas.                              1
    Fresh Rhemannia Sheng Di  12 grams
    Fresh Astragalus Huang Qi   24 grams
    Fresh Dioscorea Shan Yao    26 grams
    Cornus Shan Zhu Yu              16 grams
Decoct in water. Take 3-4 cups daily. (The Formulas of Dr. John H.F. Shen)