Chinese Medicine for Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is a systemic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin secretion or/and insufficient insulin action (reduced sensitivity of tissue cells to insulin). It is clinically classified into 4 types, among which type 2 diabetes accounts for more than 95% of diabetic patients and is the focus of chronic disease prevention and health management. Chinese medicine has a long history of treatment and care of diabetes, especially in the past 30 years, with the rapid development of modern science, using a combination of Chinese and Western medicine, the treatment of diabetes has irreplaceable advantages. The effect of Chinese medicine on the treatment and care of diabetes is slow, but it is in the category of cure, and it can enhance the physical fitness at the same time as the blood sugar decreases, and has a better preventive and therapeutic effect on chronic complications.
I. Chinese medicine prescription treatment.
At present, the Chinese herbal medicines with hypoglycemic effect confirmed by research include: ginseng, astragalus, raw earth, rehmannia, wolfberry, ground bark, kudzu, yellow lily, mulberry bark, mulberry, smallpox powder, five times seed, Zhi Mu, bitter melon, guanxi, celosia extract, periwinkle alkaloids, zero lingxiang, cactus, tiger stick, yu zhu, atractylodes, etc. In addition to the now widely used Six Flavored Dihuang Pills, Eight Flavored Dihuang Pills, Bai Hu plus Ginseng Soup, Yu Quan Pills, Yu Liquid Soup, Mulberry Granules, and Thirst Relief Pills are all quite effective in lowering blood sugar.
As for the herbal soup treatment of diabetes mellitus, it is generally divided into yin-deficiency type, qi-yin two-deficiency type and yin-yang two-deficiency type.
(1) Yin deficiency and dry heat (seen in the early stage of diabetes mellitus): manifested as irritability and thirst with drinking, dryness of the throat and tongue, good hunger, constipation, red tongue with little fluid and yellow coating, slippery pulse or stringiness. Treatment is to nourish Yin and clear heat. Choose to use Consistent Decoction with Flavor: Radix Rehmanniae 30g, Radix Salviae Miltiorrhiza 10g, Fructus Lycii 10g, Radix Medlar 10g, Radix Angelicae Sinensis 10g, Neem 10g, Rhizoma Huanglian 10g, Salviae Miltiorrhiza 30g, Radix Puerariae Miltiorrhiza 30g.
(2) Qi and Yin deficiency (seen in the middle stage of diabetes mellitus): manifested as weakness, shortness of breath, spontaneous sweating, aggravated by movement, dry mouth and tongue, excessive drinking and urination, irritable heat in the five hearts, constipation, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, pale tongue or red and dark tongue. There are teeth marks on the edge of the tongue, thin white coating with little fluid, or less coating, and a weak pulse. Treatment by benefiting Qi and nourishing Yin. Selected with Sheng Wei San Plus: Prince’s ginseng 30g, Mai Dong 15g, Wu Wei Zi 10g, Sheng Di 30g, Sheng Huang Qi 30g, Cang Zhu 10g, Xuan Shen 15g, Dan Shen 30g, Ge Gen 30g.
(3) Yin and Yang deficiency (seen in those with long duration of diabetes) manifests as weakness and spontaneous sweating, cold form and limbs, soreness and weakness of the waist and knees, dryness of the ears, excessive drinking and urination, turbidity like paste, or swelling and less urination, or five-shift diarrhea, impotence and premature ejaculation, pale tongue with white fur, sunken and weak pulse. Treatment with warming Yang and nurturing Yin. Jin Kui Kidney Qi Pill was selected: 10g of cinnamon, 10g of eunuchs, 10g of raw earth, 15g of poria, 10g of dogwood, 10g of yam, 10g of danpi, 10g of zexue, 30g of salvia, and 30g of geranium.
After about 2 months of treatment, those with satisfactory blood glucose control will continue to use Chinese medicine, while those who are not satisfied will choose oral hypoglycemic drugs according to different conditions of patients.
II. Dietary regulation.
Chinese medicine believes that the occurrence of diabetes is related to diet, and the good or bad control of diet directly affects the effect of treatment. Sun Simiao was the first pioneer in the world to propose dietary therapy, he once proposed that diabetic patients “three cautious, one drinking, two room, three salty food and noodles.” Tang Wang To also proposed to restrict rice, meat and fruits. They all stressed that without diet, “even if there is a golden elixir, it cannot be saved!” Scientific control of diet is the key to the success of diabetic diet therapy. “The best doctor is himself”, patients should know food nutrition, to learn to design their own recipes and meal preparation, to take the longevity of a hundred schools of thought, and constantly practice and improve, in order to truly master diabetes.
1, to light vegetarian food, coarse grains and noodles is better, diet to keep seven minutes full. Appropriate increase in food fiber: diabetic patients to increase the amount of food fiber into, can reduce postprandial blood sugar, improve glucose tolerance, reduce the amount of insulin and reduce the role of blood lipids; at the same time can slow down the hunger of diabetics; and can stimulate the secretion of digestive juices and promote intestinal peristalsis, to prevent the occurrence of constipation. The following foods contain more fiber, can be used as diabetics often choose to eat food, such as: mung beans, kelp, buckwheat noodles, cornmeal, oat noodles, sorghum rice, spinach, celery, leeks, bean sprouts, etc..
2, eat less carbohydrate-rich foods, such as white potatoes, potatoes, roots, carrots, peas, etc.; foods that can easily raise blood sugar are: white sugar, icing sugar, brown sugar, glucose, maltose, honey, preserves, milk sugar, chocolate, fruit sugar, canned fruit, soft drinks, jam, ice cream, sweet pastries, cakes and a variety of sweet drinks, oral liquids, fruit juices, etc., should be avoided as much as possible. Low-sugar foods include leek, zucchini, winter squash, pumpkin, bok choy, green pepper, bitter melon, onion, eggplant, tomatoes, etc. May be suitable to eat more.
3, adhere to a low-fat diet, cooking as far as possible with vegetarian oil, and eat less fried food and sweet and salty food. Elevated blood lipids are an important cause of cardiovascular disease complications in diabetes. Reduce the intake of fat from 40% to 10% of the calories provided, diabetes will be better controlled. The common foods that raise blood lipids are lard, butter, lamb fat, butter, cream, fatty meat and cholesterol-rich foods.
4, try not to drink alcohol. Diabetic liver detoxification capacity is poor, drinking alcohol will inevitably increase the burden on the liver and cause damage. Excessive alcohol consumption is also prone to hyperlipidemia and metabolic disorders. In addition, drinking alcohol will stimulate the pancreas and affect the composition of its secretion. At the same time, the wine is a high-calorie food, diabetic patients slightly out of control, it can cause the deterioration of the disease.
5, calcium deficiency can contribute to the aggravation of the diabetic condition. Therefore, you should eat more food containing calcium. Such as seaweed, ribs, shrimp, sesame paste, soybeans, milk, etc.
6, selenium has the same physiological activity as insulin to regulate glucose metabolism. Selenium-containing foods such as fish, mushrooms, sesame, garlic, mustard, etc. can lower blood sugar and improve the symptoms of diabetes.
7, supplementation of foods rich in vitamin B and vitamin C such as fish, milk, cabbage, beans and bok choy, mustard, kale, green pepper, fresh dates, etc., is conducive to slowing the process of diabetes complications, to reduce the diabetic retinal lesions, nephropathy.
8, watermelon, apples, kiwis contain relatively low sugar, such fruits can reduce the burden on the patient’s pancreas, help it absorb to rich vitamins, minerals and pectin, and balance the diet.
Therapeutic meals.
Ground Bone Bark Porridge (“Food Medicine Heart Mirror”).
Ingredients】Earth Bark 30g, Morus Bark 15g, Mai Dong 15g, Flour 100g.
Preparation: Decoction of 3 herbs, remove the slag, take the juice, and cook with flour as a thin porridge.
Usage】Eat when thirsty, regardless of the time of day.
Efficacy】Clearing the lung, promoting the production of body fluid and quenching thirst. It is suitable for thirst (diabetes), excessive drinking, and body wasting.
Bamboo shoot and rice porridge (folk recipe)
Ingredients】1 fresh bamboo shoot, 100g rice.
Preparation】Slice the fresh bamboo shoots and boil them with rice to make porridge.
Usage】Take 2 times daily.
Efficacy】It can clear heat, promote the lung, and relieve dampness.
Chinese wolfberry congee (“Materia Medica”)
Raw materials] 15-20g of Chinese wolfberry, 50g of round-grained rice, sugar.
【Production】 Put the above 3 flavors into a casserole, add water 500g, boil with a gentle fire until boiling, wait for the rice to bloom, soup thickening, cease to simmer for 5 minutes is ready.
Usage】Take warm daily in the morning and evening, and can be taken for a long time.
Efficacy】Nourish the liver and kidney, benefit the essence and brighten the eyes. It is suitable for diabetes and dizziness, diminished vision, soreness of the waist and knees, impotence and spermatorrhea caused by deficiency of liver and kidney yin.
Third, acupuncture therapy.
Main acupoints: Guan Yuan, Qi Hai, Pancreatic Yu (i.e., Subgastric Yu), San Jiao Yu, Yang Chi, Foot San Li, and San Yin Jiao.
Supporting points: Lung Yu can be added to those who drink a lot; Zhonggui and Stomach Yu can be added to those who eat a lot and lose weight; Yu Men, Kidney Yu and Zhongji can be added to those who urinate a lot.
Method: Mild moxibustion: 15-20 minutes per point, 1 to 2 times a day, 10 times a course of treatment.
Moxibustion with ginger: moxa cone as large as a date, each point moxibustion about 10 strong, 1 to 2 times a day, 10 times for a course of treatment.
Fourth, massage therapy.
①Press the Tianzhu, Lung Yu, Juyin Yu, Liver Yu, Gall Bladder Yu, Spleen Yu, Stomach Yu, Kidney Yu, and Bladder Yu 30-50 times each, with the strength appropriate for swelling and pain.
(2) Pinch and press Yinlingquan, Sanyinjiao, Yanglingquan, and Feosanli of the foot and Hand Sanli and Quchi of the hand for 50 to 100 times each, with slightly heavier force.
③ pinch and press the Laogong point on the palm of the hand 100 times, with slightly heavier force, to swelling and pain.
V. Exercise therapy.
Appropriate and regular exercise is an important means of treating diabetes. A variety of activities can be taken, such as walking, doing aerobics, playing taijiquan, dancing elderly disco, playing table tennis, swimming, running, etc. You can choose the activity according to your physical condition or hobby. Be persistent. Activities should be started from 1 to 1.5 hours after meals, which is the best time to lower blood sugar. Elderly obese patients can be lightly active in the morning after waking up. The survey found that 30 minutes of exercise can make the excessive blood sugar drop 12% to 16%, and symptoms such as excessive drinking and urination are improved. Elderly people who are injected with insulin should avoid activities at the peak time of insulin action to avoid hypoglycemia. When exercising, bring some bread or fruit candy to prevent hypoglycemia from occurring. Hypoglycemia is also likely to occur at night, so bread and fruit candies should also be prepared.
Sixth, psychotherapy.
In addition to controlling diet and using drugs, diabetic patients must also adjust the psychological balance, improve the patient’s emotional state, overcome negative emotions, and help patients to rationalize their lives. According to the pathophysiology of diabetes, genetics and treatment and other aspects of research shows that diabetes is not only related to genetic factors, and psychological factors. According to the clinical and experimental observations, it can be affirmed that psychosocial factors and emotional reactions have an important influence on diabetes. Therefore, in addition to controlling diet and using drugs, diabetic patients must also adjust their psychological balance, improve their emotional state, overcome negative emotions and help them to arrange their lives rationally.