There is a virtual
epidemic of
type 2 diabetes in the United States, but
thankfully, while many people have contracted
diabetes due to poor life style choices (e.g.,
poor diet, lack of exercise), they are being smart
about searching for
natural, nonpharmaceutical diabetes treatment
alternatives to manage this troubling disease.
One herbal therapy that
shows promise is Pycnogenol (pick-nodg-enol), a
patented extract made from the bark of the French
maritime pine tree. (Pycnogenol
product = Choice Pime)
A recent study reported
in Diabetes Care demonstrates that
pycnogenol can help
lower blood sugar (glucose) in patients with
mild diabetes, even allowing them to discontinue
insulin use.
To learn more about
pycnogenol, I spoke with David Winston, a registered
herbalist and coauthor of Herbal Therapy and
Supplements: A Scientific and Traditional Approach (Lippincott).
He told me that this is a highly researched product
with well-documented anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant
properties.
Lower
Glucose Levels
In the study, 30 men and
women with type 2 diabetes took 50mg, 100mg, 200mg
and 300mg of pycnogenol daily at intervals of three
weeks.
Researchers found that doses from 50mg to 200 mg
resulted in significant
reductions in glucose levels. The
most dramatic improvement came with the 200mg
dosage, while 300mg did not produce additional
benefit.
Just how pycnogenol
lowers glucose is
not clear. Researchers note that it does not
do so by increasing insulin secretion, because the
participants' insulin levels did not change at any
dosage. Several earlier studies have suggested
that pycnogenol may be useful in the treatment
and prevention of diabetic retinopathy (diabetic
eye disease caused by damage to the small blood
vessels in the retina). In this case, it is
believed to work by strengthening capillaries and
reducing leakage into the retina, both of which are
associated with chronically elevated serum glucose.
Although several
participants reported side effects such as
dizziness, headache and gastric discomfort, these
were minor and did not cause anyone to quit the
study. According to Daily Health News
contributing editor Andrew L. Rubman, ND, the side
effects effects experienced were usually temporary
and probably associated with the antifungal activity
of the material.
More Benefit With Pycnogenol
Although the research
regarding lower glucose
level is new, Winston points out that other
healing attributes of pycnogenol are widely
recognized. This
potent antioxidant can help control the free
radical damage and inflammation that underlies many
chronic diseases, including
cardiovascular
disease, cancer
and osteoarthritis. (Pycnogenol
product = Choice Pime)
Dr. Rubman says that it
seems to work best in conjunction with a broad-based
antioxidant regimen
that includes vitamin C and bioflavonoids, which
need to be taken as citrus bioblavonoids, 1,000mg,
twice daily... the vitamin A family of retinal
palmitate and beta-carotene (with mixed carotenoids),
which come together, and a typical daily dose in
this situation would be 10,000 IU of each -- for
example, one capsule, containing both, taken once a
day, labeled as 20,000 IU total activity... vitamin
E, typically 400 IU... and zinc, typically 30mg.
Additional support can be provided from
omega-3 sources, by
taking fish oil supplements (two capsules or one
teaspoon twice a day). Dr. Rubman recommends
those from Nordic Natural and PharMaz. Other
studies indicate that pycnogenol may help
lower blood pressure
and cholesterol, enhance circulation and reduce
platelet stickiness and clotting that can lead to
heart attack or
stroke.
To learn if pycnogenol
is right for you, consult your health-care provider
or a naturopathic physician.
People who take this supplement for
diabetes must monitor their blood glucose
levels, and it may be necessary to adjust the dosage
of other medications.
Be well,
Carole Jackson, Bottom
Line's Daily Health News
Sources
David Winston,
registered herbalist and founding member of the
American Herbalist Guild, coauthor of Herbal Therapy
and Supplements: A Scientific and Traditional
Approach (Lippincott)
